GED Practice Question Answer: Clara Barton
Last time, I gave you a practice question to answer. Remember this?
Clara Barton settled in Danville, N.Y., where for several years she was a semi-invalid. In 1877 she wrote a founder of the International Red Cross, offering to lead an American branch of the organization. Thus, at 56 she began a new career.
In 1881 Barton incorporated the American Red Cross, with herself as president. A year later her extraordinary efforts brought about United States ratification of the Geneva Convention. She herself attended conferences of the International Red Cross as the American representative. She was, however, far from bureaucratic in interests. Although wholly individualistic and unlike reformers who worked on programs for social change, she did a great social service as activist and propagandist.
Question: According to the information, Clara Barton was most interested in:
1. founding organizations.
2. having an important position.
3. attending conferences.
4. ratifying conventions.
5. social activism.
What did you answer? If you look at answer 1, founding organizations, it sounds like it kinda might be right. She did found the American Red Cross. But I don’t think she was interested in founding organizations just to make more organizations, you know? It says she was “far from bureaucratic in interests.” In other words, she wasn’t all about the paperwork and making organizations!
Answer 2 says “having an important position.” She was president of the American Red Cross. That’s pretty important. But was she really interested in being an important person? It sounds to me like she was more interested in helping other people.
Answer 3 says “attending conferences.” There’s another thing that the she did. But I don’t think her real goal was just to attend conferences! That can’t be the most important thing to her.
Answer 4 says “ratifying conventions.” She helped ratify the Geneva Convention, it says. There’s a word I had to struggle with–it basically means to sign and approve. See how all these answers are things in the reading that she did? So you might think they’re the right answer. But really the question is asking you what was important to her… why she did all those things.
I go with answer 5. “Social activism.” That means, being active to make changes in society. All the things Clara Barton did, she did to help people. So, which answer says it was important to her to help people? The closest one is “social activism,” helping people by making social change. Did you get that? Part of it is interpreting the words, and figuring out which one shows the main idea.
How did you do? Let me know if you have any questions.
