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Test: ACT English Test
| 1. | There are two different ways to consider the so-called “Dark Ages.” On the one hand, you can think of the period directly after the Roman Empire's fall, when civilization began to collapse throughout the Western Empire. On the other hand, you can consider the period that followed this initial collapse of society. It is a gross simplification to use the adjective dark to describe either of these periods' civilization. Regarding the first period, it is quite a simplification to consider this period to be a single historical moment. It is not as though the civilization switched off like a lightbulb. At one moment, light and then, at the next, dark. Instead, the decline of civilization occurred over a period of numerous decades and was, in fact, already occurring for many years before the so-called period of darkness. Thus, the decline of civilization was not a rapid collapse into barbarism, but instead, was a slow alteration of the cultural milieu of a partition of Europe. Indeed, the Eastern Roman Empire retained much of its cultural status during these years of decline! More importantly, the period following the Western Empire's slow collapse was much less “dark” than almost every popular telling state. Indeed, even during the period of decline, the seeds for cultural restoration were being sown. A key element of this cultural revival was monastic communities' formation throughout the countryside of what we now know as Europe. Although these were not the only positive force during these centuries, the monasteries had played an important role in preserving and advancing the cause of culture through at least the thirteenth century and arguably until the Renaissance. How should the underlined section be changed? |
Thus, the decline of civilization was not a rapid collapse into barbarism, but instead was a slow alteration of the cultural milieu of a portion of Europe.
NO CHANGE
Thus, the decline of civilization was not a rapid collapse into barbarism but, instead, were a slow alteration of the cultural milieu of a portion of Europe.
Thus, the decline of civilization was not a rapid collapse into barbarism but, instead, was a slow alteration of the cultural milieu of a portion of Europe.
