{"id":1721,"date":"2025-05-21T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wizreads.wizako.com\/gmat-gre-sat-reading-comprehension-practice-articles-blog\/?p=1721"},"modified":"2025-06-04T10:45:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T05:15:25","slug":"how-old-is-oxford-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizreads.wizako.com\/gmat-gre-sat-reading-comprehension-practice-articles-blog\/social-sciences\/how-old-is-oxford-university\/","title":{"rendered":"How old is Oxford University? RC Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know that Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire, which wasn’t founded until 1325? Why do some institutions endure for nearly a millennium while others fade into history? These passages explore the fascinating origins of one of the world’s oldest universities, revealing how political conflicts and unplanned developments shaped an institution that continues to influence global education today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read these moderate difficulty<\/a> RC passage(s) in Social Sciences<\/a> and answer the question(s) that follows. You can choose the GMAT style Reading Passage and the question or the GRE RC variant and answer the GRE-style question. Even better, you could solve both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GMAT RC Practice<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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GRE Reading Passage<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

GMAT Passage | Medium Difficulty | ~200 words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Educational establishments in medieval Europe emerged through complex political and religious dynamics rather than deliberate institutional planning. Oxford’s academic tradition commenced by 1096, predating the standardized university model that would later define Western higher education. Initially functioning as informal gatherings of scholars, these proto-academic communities attracted students through reputation rather than formal recruitment mechanisms. The trajectory of Oxford’s development accelerated dramatically following King Henry II’s 1167 prohibition against English subjects attending the University of Paris. This political decree, stemming from Henry’s conflict with Thomas Becket, the High Chancellor of Great Britain, inadvertently concentrated scholarly activity within England’s borders, transforming Oxford from a modest learning center into a major intellectual hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 1264, Oxford had evolved into a comprehensive university featuring organized residential colleges, structured curricula, and formal governance systems. The institution’s three original halls\u2014University, Balliol, and Merton\u2014represented a fundamental shift from informal education to systematic academic organization. This transformation reflected broader medieval trends toward institutionalization, where religious and political authorities increasingly sought to codify and control intellectual activities. Oxford’s early development exemplifies how major educational institutions often emerge not through planned establishment but through convergent historical forces, political conflicts, and social needs that create favorable conditions for intellectual communities to flourish and formalize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question Type: Inference | Question Difficulty: Medium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Which of the following is true about King Henry II based on the passage?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. He implemented educational reforms specifically designed to strengthen England’s academic institutions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. His 1167 prohibition against English attendance at the University of Paris was motivated primarily by his dispute with Thomas Becket<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. He actively recruited displaced scholars from Paris to establish formal universities in England<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. His political conflicts resulted in unintended consequences for English higher education<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. He established the first three residential colleges at Oxford as part of his institutional reorganization<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n GMAT RC Question Answer & Explanation ▼<\/span><\/strong><\/summary>\n

    The passage states that Henry II’s “1167 prohibition against English subjects attending the University of Paris” stemmed from “Henry’s conflict with Thomas Becket” and that this political decree “inadvertently concentrated scholarly activity within England’s borders,” transforming Oxford into “a major intellectual hub.” The key word “inadvertently” indicates that Henry’s political actions had unintended educational consequences\u2014he was focused on his conflict with Becket, not on developing English universities, yet his prohibition unexpectedly accelerated Oxford’s growth.\n

    \nCorrect Answer: Choice (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/details>\n\n\n