Question

base your answers to questions 25 and 26 on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies
in the very heart of tokyo sits the imperial palace, site of the former edo castle. inside a colossal moat with ramparts that dwarf anything seen in europe, vast open spaces enclose the last fragments of one of the worlds most imposing seventeenth-century monuments. across the globe in france, louis xivs palace and gardens of versailles form a similar impression of artificial mastery of nature and society. miles of formal gardens punctuated decorated with fountains and statuary surround a palace known for its cold magnificence, with the entire ensemble of town, palace, and park orienting itself around a single, central focal point: the sun kings bedroom. each complex symbolizes a system of power. edo evokes brings to mind the tokugawa rule by status, which decreed that the daimyo lords, who were themselves forced to spend alternate years in edo away from the various other categories of subjects, all ranged in a pattern of residential sectors spiraling around the castle. versailles, in similar fashion, bespeaks indicates the domestication of the french aristocracy in a \gilded cage,\ where they scrambled for favors while the sun king undermined their authority and deprived them of their independence.
source: william beik, \louis xiv and the cities,\ edo and paris: urban life and the state in the early modern era, cornell university press, 1994

1. based on this passage, one way the castle at edo and the palace at versailles are similar is that both

a) became symbols of power and wealth
b) developed into monastic centers of learning
c) were meant to provide protection and prevent attacks
d) served as monuments to the military

1. which claim can best be supported by this passage?

a) the more independent the nobles were the higher the status.
b) nobles maintained their authority by remaining isolated.
c) rulers controlled their nobles by influencing where they lived.
d) spending time in segregated sectors guaranteed nobles the support of their ruler.

Explanation:

Question 25

The passage states that "Each complex symbolizes a system of power" for both Edo Castle (imperial palace in Tokyo) and Versailles. Also, the descriptions of their grandeur (like miles of formal gardens, fountains, statuary for Versailles and the imperial palace's vast spaces in Tokyo) imply wealth.

For Edo, the daimyo lords were forced to spend alternate years in Edo away from their domains (arranged in residential sectors around the castle). For Versailles, the French aristocracy was in a "gilded cage" (living in a certain way at Versailles) while the ruler (Sun King) undermined their authority. This shows rulers controlled nobles by influencing their living places.

Answer:

A. became symbols of power and wealth

Question 26