Switzerland Has Three Official National Languages GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Switzerland has three official national languages (French, Italian, and German) and two major religions (Catholicism and Protestantism). This level of diversity has often led to conflict and even violence in other countries, but Switzerland has maintained a peaceful coexistence since its establishment as a federal state in 1848. What could explain this unusual stability? A new study examines well-defined topographical and political boundaries separating groups and draws some surprising conclusions. In Switzerland, landscape elements tend to separate linguistic groups, while political cantons, which are similar to states or provinces, tend to separate religious groups. The study suggests that these physical or geographical barriers allow for partial autonomy among disparate groups within a single country and thus foster peace.

The study considered the effect of physical separations, such as those caused by lakes and mountain ranges, determining the scale of these boundaries via an edge detection algorithm that calculates topographical heights. Where a sharp contrast in height, such as a cliff, also continued for a significant distance, the researchers designated a physical boundary between groups. Throughout the regions separated by these types of boundaries, a quiet reign of peace has persisted for nearly two centuries. Where such boundaries do not exist, however, politically or linguistically mixed cantons are more prevalent and violence is more common. One such canton, Jura, has both a history of conflict and a porous mountain range that does not fully separate linguistic groups.

Some researchers hypothesized that political boundaries might encourage stability in places where physical boundaries are absent. However, existing evidence suggests that political boundaries might not be sufficient to discourage violence. For example, Jura was formed in 1979 in response to sustained attacks between a local German-speaking Protestant population and another French speaking Catholic population. The new canton created an autonomous political region for the French-speaking Catholic population, though the French-speaking Protestant region chose to remain affiliated with the German-speaking Protestants in the existing canton of Bern, valuing similar religion over similar language. Because of remaining linguistic differences, conflict in the region continued. A proposal to combine the French-speaking Protestant areas with the French-speaking Catholic areas is currently being considered, despite little evidence that any boundaries except physical ones effectively temper violence.

“Switzerland has three official national languages”- is a GMAT reading comprehension exercise. Candidates need to be highly proficient in GMAT reading comprehension. There are five comprehension questions in this GMAT reading comprehension section. The purpose of the GMAT Reading Comprehension questions is to evaluate candidates' comprehension, analysis, and application skills. Candidates who are actively preparing can benefit from GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. In the passage, the author is primarily interested in

(A) suggesting a modification to a flawed theory
(B) initiating a debate about the true cause of a historical conflict
(C) introducing a theory that seeks to answer a particular question
(D) arguing that one method for addressing a question is preferable to another
(E) explaining the development of an established theory

2. According to the passage, which the following is true about physical boundaries between populations within the same country?

(A) They are the only proven method for fostering peace.
(B) They allow distinct groups to live more autonomously and peacefully than might otherwise be the case.
(C) They can be the result of natural or man-made landscape elements.
(D) They are less effective than political boundaries in maintaining peace in a region.
(E) They are more easily overcome with the advent of modern technology and transportation.

3. The author of the passage discusses the history of the canton Jura in order to

(A) prove definitively that physical boundaries are the key to maintaining peace among disparate political and religious groups
(B) remind readers that it is extremely difficult to sustain peace in all regions of a country
(C) speculate about how Switzerland might finally resolve the ongoing conflicts in the region
(D) provide an example of a canton in which the lack of physical boundaries appears to exacerbate differences of opinion among the populace
(E) suggest that there are alternative methods to reduce conflict among warring groups when physical boundaries are not present

4. Which of the following is true of the study of topographical boundaries discussed in the passage?

(A) It considered the length as well as the height of natural boundaries.
(B) It was conducted by French and German researchers.
(C) It did not take into account man-made physical boundaries.
(D) It concluded that physical boundaries are necessary in order to ensure a certain level of peace among the population.
(E) It rated mountains as more effective barriers than lakes.

5. It can be inferred from the passage that Switzerland’s political boundaries

(A) are responsible for its remarkable history of peaceful coexistence among diverse groups
(B) are typically based upon natural geographic boundaries
(C) lead to more conflict in French- and German-speaking areas than in Italian-speaking areas
(D) are capable of being changed
(E) should be based upon language similarities, not religious similarities

Suggested GMAT Reading Comprehension Samples

• Over the Last 150 Years, Large Stretches of Salmon Habitat GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Brain Contributes to the Adaptive Success of Animals GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Geology of the Grand Canyon Area Exposes GMAT Reading Comprehension
• A Fundamental Principle of Pharmacology is that all Drugs GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Scepticism is as Much the Result of Knowledge, as Knowledge is of Scepticism GMAT Reading Comprehension
• On the surface, the Conquest of the Aztec Empire by Herman Cortes GMAT Reading Comprehension
• A One-Child Policy was Implemented in China in 1979 GMAT Reading Comprehension
• But Man is Not Destined to Vanish GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Coral Reefs Are One of the Most Fragile GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Although Numbers of Animals in a Given Region May Fluctuate GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Antonia Castañeda has Utilized Scholarship from Women's Studies and Mexican-American History to Examine Nineteenth-Century Literary Portrayals GMAT Reading Comprehension
• By 1950, The Results of Attempts to Relate Brain Processes GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In February 1848 the People of Paris Rose in Revolt GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Pioneers of the Teaching of Science Imagined that its Introduction into Education GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Single-Celled Parasite known as Toxoplasma Gondii Infects GMAT Reading Comprehension
• During the Victorian Period, Women Writers were Measured Against A Social GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In Current Historiography, the Picture of a Consistent, Unequivocal Decline in Women’s Status GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Resin is a Plant Secretion that Hardens when Exposed to Air GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Some Historians Contend that Conditions in the United States During the Second World War GMAT Reading Comprehension
• It Was Once Assumed that All Living Things Could be Divided GMAT Reading Comprehension