ACT 3: Humanities Common Assessment

The primary purpose of the passage is to

• argue that Ernest Cole's later career deserves more recognition than his early work.

• illustrate how Cole's photographs function mainly as political propaganda.

• analyze how Cole transformed everyday scenes into a distinctive documentary style.

• compare Cole's work with that of other twentieth-century photographers.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

In describing Cole as 'elusive' in the first paragraph, the author most nearly means that Cole was

• difficult to locate because much of his work was destroyed.

• personally withdrawn and rarely spoke about his artistic goals.

• admired by critics but largely unknown outside his home country.

• hard to categorize fully because his life and work resist simple explanation.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.1

The passage suggests that Cole's focus on 'ordinary rhythms of daily life' (paragraph 2) serves primarily to

• reveal how small, repeated actions can illuminate systemic oppression.

• demonstrate Cole's preference for photographing crowded public spaces.

• highlight his desire to avoid political themes in favor of universal scenes.

• contrast with earlier photographers who ignored everyday subjects entirely.

According to the passage, Cole's photographic style was influenced most directly by

• restrictions that limited his access to professional equipment.

• training he received from prominent European photographers.

• the need to appeal to international audiences unfamiliar with apartheid.

• his conviction that documentary photography should imitate fine art.

The author characterizes the technical imperfections in Cole's photographs as

• accidental flaws that weakened the emotional impact of his work.

• signs of inadequate training that kept him from achieving recognition.

• intentional or meaningful features that contributed to the photographs' power.

• evidence that Cole preferred experimental abstract styles over realism.

As used in the context of the passage, the phrase 'granular details' (paragraph 4) most nearly refers to

• the minute and specific features of everyday life.

• the physical roughness of Cole's camera equipment.

• the scientific qualities of the photographic printing process.

• the technical instructions included in his works.

The passage most strongly implies that Cole's international influence can be attributed to

• the broad heroic narratives that structure his photographs.

• the universal popularity of documentary photography in the 1960s.

• critics who promoted his work after his death.

• readers who recognized parallels between apartheid and other systems of power.

Which of the following best describes the author's attitude toward Cole's work?

• Detached skepticism

• Measured admiration

• Unqualified celebration

• Regretful nostalgia

The author includes information about Cole's exile in order to

• explain why his best-known work focused on countries outside South Africa.

• illustrate how political displacement affected the continuity of his career.

• argue that his later projects were more artistically daring than his earlier ones.

• provide evidence that Cole ultimately rejected documentary photography.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the final paragraph?

• Cole's photographs endure because they document events of major historical significance.

• The artistic value of Cole's work lies chiefly in its innovative use of photographic equipment.

• Cole expanded the possibilities of documentary photography by elevating ordinary scenes to powerful artistic statements.

• Without access to better resources, Cole would not have been able to produce meaningful work.