Verbal Reasoning Passage (Main Ideas)

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ilovemcat

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I'm having extreme difficulty understanding the main idea for this passage (below). I'm trying my best to avoid the details, but it's very difficult for me to atleast get anything out of this passage.

I would appreciate it if someone can point a "mini point" for each paragraph and sum up all the points to one main point. I can use it as an example when I begin to study other passages.

An example of what I mean is:
Paragraph 1: The main point about this paragraph is...
Paragraph 2: ....
Paragraph 3: etc.

(Stop at the paragraph at "In like manner, Winthrop Saw")

Thanks if anyone decides to help with this. This is one of many I've been struggling with.
 
If anyone's curious were this passage came from, it's one of the many verbal passages provided by TPRH. I didn't include the questions.
 
If anyone's curious were this passage came from, it's one of the many verbal passages provided by TPRH. I didn't include the questions.

I'm not a VR expert by any means but I got:

1) Modern America shaped by religion from the the beginning. A researcher can see why things are in American from studying early religious Americans.

2)Dude Winthrop was one of them, he devoted his life to creating a utopian religious community however nice he was he was "materialistic" but in the name of god.

3)Freedom in Winthrops sense is not just the idea that "we" know it as, his freedom is more along the lines of a religious type, a freedom that is good, right, and just. Everything else should not be followed.

Main point:

Historians view modern religious America from Winthrop, he chased for property in the name of god to build a utopian community that has freedom that is good and just like god, others may see it differently.

Look for keywords like however and but. They seem to make points worth highlighting cause those come up in questions a lot. The details just support the main points so you can speed through those parts. What I got is prob. not exactly the main point but it should be enough for me to answer most questions.

Also to add, I feel that the essay is moving towards the imperialistic idealogy that America has kept, and religion has played a huge part in it. But that's just inferred stuff I got, it hasn't yet got there.
 
Last edited:
I'm not a VR expert by any means but I got:

1) Modern America shaped by religion from the the beginning. A researcher can see why things are in American from studying early religious Americans.

2)Dude Winthrop was one of them, he devoted his life to creating a utopian religious community however nice he was he was "materialistic" but in the name of god.

3)Freedom in Winthrops sense is not just the idea that "we" know it as, his freedom is more along the lines of a religious type, a freedom that is good, right, and just. Everything else should not be followed.

Main point:

Historians view modern religious America from Winthrop, he chased for property in the name of god to build a utopian community that has freedom that is good and just like god, others may see it differently.

Look for keywords like however and but. They seem to make points worth highlighting cause those come up in questions a lot. The details just support the main points so you can speed through those parts. What I got is prob. not exactly the main point but it should be enough for me to answer most questions.

Also to add, I feel that the essay is moving towards the imperialistic idealogy that America has kept, and religion has played a huge part in it. But that's just inferred stuff I got, it hasn't yet got there.

Thanks!! This was very helpful. It looks like your explanations were onkey with the questionnaire 🙂
 
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