Text Structure and Purpose

What are "text structure and purpose" questions?

On the Reading and Writing section of your SAT, some questions will present a
short text for you to read. The question will then ask you to identify the main
purpose or overall structure of the text.
Text structure and purpose questions will look like this:

TEXT STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE: EXAMPLE

The following text is from Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1910 poem “The Earth’s
Entail”.
No matter how we cultivate the land,
Taming the forest and the prairie free;
No matter how we irrigate the sand,
Making the desert blossom at command,
We must always leave the borders of the sea;
The immeasureable reaches
Of the windy wave-wet beaches,
The million-mile-long margin of the sea.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
(Choice A)
The speaker provides examples of an admirable way of approaching nature and
then challenges that approach.
(Choice B)
The speaker describes attempts to control nature and then offers a reminder that not
all nature is controllable.
(Choice C)
The speaker argues against interfering with nature and then gives evidence
supporting this interference.
(Choice D)
The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions
that such efforts are only temporary.
Explanation:
Let's start by paraphrasing the poem. By putting the text into our own words, we
should start to see the shape and structure behind it.
The first four lines follow a consistent pattern, which shows us that they're linked.
However, those lines don't really form a complete thought. Instead, they use the
transition phrase "no matter" to introduce some sort of contrast with whatever idea
will follow in the next part of the poem.
Together the first four lines say something like
Despite the fact that we can control and shape the land...
So what's the follow up? Let's look at the next four lines. They work to emphasize
the size and power of the ocean. Taken together, the last four lines say something
like
We can't control the sea.
Put these parts together, and we have the following summary:
Despite the fact that we can control and shape the land, we can't control the
sea.
This is the story the poem is trying to tell. It's the shape and structure of the text
behind the flowery language.
Let's look at the choices and see which one matches the structure we've identified:

Choice A says the speaker is focused on whether an approach to nature is

"admirable", but the poem doesn't focus on good or bad. Instead, it focuses on
possible or impossible. We can eliminate this choice.
Choice C says the speaker argues against interfering with nature, but the poem
doesn't say that it's bad to interfere with nature. Also, notice that the second half of
the poem doesn't "[give] evidence supporting" interference with nature; the second
half of the poem argues that interfering with the sea is impossible. We can
eliminate this choice.
Choice D is tempting. The first half of the poem does indeed "[present] an account
of efforts to dominate nature". However, the second half of the poem doesn't say
those efforts are "temporary". Instead, it argues that in some cases it's simply
impossible to dominate nature. We can eliminate this choice.
Only choice B accurate reflects both parts of the poem:
While some nature can be controlled, some nature can't.
Notice how this choice very closely resembles the summary we created. Choice B
is the answer.

How should we think about text structure and purpose questions?

Text structure and purpose questions are all about seeing past the surface of a
passage. Instead of just what a text says, these questions dig into why and how the
text says it.
Since these questions might ask about purpose or structure, let's look at each in
turn.

Purpose
Purpose is the why behind the passage. Why did the author write it? What did they
want to accomplish? What’s the point?
A text's purpose can often be framed using active verbs that demonstrate the goals
of the author. Some examples include
 to explain ______
 to illustrate ______
 to criticize ______
 to argue ______
 to introduce ______
The author wants you to have a particular experience when you read their writing.
Maybe they want to help you understand a new concept, or maybe they want to
convince you of something. What were your takeaways from reading the text?
Chances are, those takeaways are closely related to the text's purpose.

Structure
Structure is how a passage works to achieve its purpose. How does the text flow
from one idea to the next? Where does the author place particular emphasis?
A text's structure can often be described as a sort of motion, following the focus as
it shifts from one place to another.
Separating a text's structure from its content can be difficult, but it often helps to
consider how the ideas within the text relate to one another. Do they disagree?
Does one idea cause or build upon another? These relationships create a shape for
the text which serves to support the goals of the author.

How to approach text structure and purpose questions

To solve a text structure and purpose question, consider following these steps:
Step 1: Identify the task
The first thing you should do is glance at the question to see if it asks about
"overall structure" or "main purpose". While structure and purpose are closely
linked, you may find it helpful to read the passage while focusing on just the one
the question asks about.

Step 2: Summarize the text

Read the passage closely and summarize the ideas you encounter. Try to boil the
whole text down to one or two simple points. You already know whether the
question asks about structure or purpose, so keep that in focus as you form your
summary.
Rephrasing things in your own words will give you a strong understanding
of what the passage is about, and this is the first step to understanding
the why and how of the text.
Step 3: Test the choices
Compare your summary to each of the choices. While a summary isn't exactly the
same as a structure or purpose, you should find a significant resemblance.
A text's purpose will include reference to the main ideas in the passage. A text's
structure will often be made obvious by a straightforward summary.
One of the choices should jump out as the most clearly linked to your summary.
You can select this choice with confidence!

Top tips
Stay specific
Don't stray beyond the focus of the text. Eliminate choices that describe a purpose
or structure that introduces information not directly addressed in the passage.
Likewise, avoid choices that shift or blur the purpose of a text by emphasizing
details that aren't a central focus.
Explanation:
Let's look at the choices in our example question:
 Choice A introduces the word "admirable", which makes a judgment about
whether these attempts to control nature are good or bad. But the poem doesn't
discuss whether things are good or bad. We can eliminate this choice.

Be strict
Choices in structure questions often break the text into two parts. Make sure the
description of both parts of the text is accurate. If a choice correctly describes the
first part of the text, but doesn't feel quite as accurate for the second part, eliminate
that choice. Every part of the answer needs to accurately describe the text.
Explanation:
Let's look at the choices in our example question:
 Choice D describes the first part of the text pretty well. The first four lines of
the poem do discuss "efforts to dominate nature". However, the second half of
choice D disqualifies the whole choice; the poem never claims that anything is
"temporary". We can eliminate this choice.

Lean on transitions
Transitions like "however" and "therefore" contribute significantly to the structure
of a text by showing how one idea flows into the next. Take note of any transition
words you encounter while reading; these can be very helpful when trying to map
out the structure of the text.
Explanation:
Let's look at the text in our example question:
 The text uses the subordinating conjunction "no matter" to link the first half of the
poem to the second half. "No matter" is very similar to "despite" or "regardless",
and it very clearly signals that there will be a contrast between the first half of the
poem and the second half. This contrast is reflected in the correct answer.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. The following text is from Srimati Svarna Kumari Devi’s 1894 novel The Fatal
Garland (translated by A. Christina Albers in 1910).
Shakti is walking near a riverbank that she visited frequently during her
childhood.
She crossed the woods she knew so well. The trees seemed to extend their
branches like welcoming arms. They greeted her as an old friend. Soon she reached
the river-side.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It suggests that Shakti feels uncomfortable near the river.
(Choice B)
It indicates that Shakti has lost her sense of direction in the woods.
(Choice C)
It emphasizes Shakti’s sense of belonging in the landscape.
(Choice D)
It conveys Shakti’s appreciation for her long-term friendships.

2. In most building demolitions, the building materials are destroyed and sent to
landfills. City officials in Portland, Oregon, wanted to reduce this waste. The
officials passed a law requiring demolition companies to deconstruct some
buildings instead. Deconstruction involves carefully taking buildings apart piece
by piece. Damage to the materials is avoided so that they can be reused in new
constructions. A 2019 study found that 27 percent of materials from
deconstructions in Portland were able to be reused. The remaining materials were
processed for recycling instead of going to a landfill.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To explain an effort made by the city of Portland to reduce demolition waste and
some results of that effort
(Choice B)
To discuss laws aimed to reduce demolition waste in Portland and compare them to
similar laws in other cities
 (Choice C)
To show that popular support for measures that reduce demolition waste has
increased since 2019
(Choice D)
To argue that building deconstruction is not as effective as other measures at
reducing demolition waste

3. Hiroshi Senju is known worldwide for his paintings of waterfalls. These paintings
are large and tend not to show the entire waterfall. Instead, Senju focuses on just
the point where the falling water reaches the pool below, keeping the top of the
waterfall out of view. While Senju’s paintings are rooted in art movements
originating in the United States, the artist uses traditional Japanese techniques and
materials that make his work instantly recognizable.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
It gives an opinion on an artist and then suggests multiple reasons why the artist’s
work has been largely overlooked.
(Choice B)
It explains a specific painting technique and then provides examples of artists who
use the technique.
(Choice C)
It describes a famous painting and then compares it to a lesser-known painting
from the same time period.
(Choice D)
It introduces an artist and then explains some common characteristics of well-
known paintings by that artist.

4. Genetic studies have led researchers to suggest that turtles are most closely related
to the group that includes modern crocodiles. But studies of fossils have suggested
instead that turtles are most closely related to other groups, such as the one that
contains modern snakes. However, many of the fossil studies have relied on
incomplete data sets. For a 2022 investigation, biologist Tiago R. Simões and
colleagues examined more than 1,000 reptile fossils collected worldwide. From
this large data set, they found clear agreement with the results of the genetic
studies.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

(Choice A)
It offers an overview of the tools scientists use to examine fossils.
 (Choice B)
It describes a limitation of some studies about the origin of turtles.
(Choice C)
It criticizes a widely held belief about genetic studies of reptiles.
(Choice D)
It summarizes previous research on the evolution of crocodiles.

5. The following text is from Holly Goldberg Sloan’s 2017 novel Short.
More than two years ago my parents bought a piano from some people who were
moving to Utah. Mom and Dad gave it to my brothers and me for Christmas. I had
to act really happy because it was such a big present, but I pretty much hated the
thing from the second it was carried into the hallway upstairs, which is right next
to my bedroom. The piano glared at me. It was like a songbird in a cage. It wanted
to be set free.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
It suggests that the narrator’s brothers are talented piano players.
(Choice B)
It describes the event that led the narrator’s parents to buy a piano.
(Choice C)
It explains why the narrator always wanted a piano close to her bedroom.
(Choice D)
It establishes how the narrator feels about the piano.

6. Jackie Ormes’s Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the first comic
strip by a Black woman to appear in a widely read newspaper. The strip tells the
story of Torchy, a young woman who leaves Mississippi to become a performer in
New York City. Torchy’s story reflects the experience of the Great Migration
(1910–1970), when millions of Black Americans left the South in search of
opportunities in other parts of the United States. Torchy Brown thus shows how
Ormes used comics to comment humorously on issues affecting Black Americans,
which she continued to do throughout her career.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To give an example of how Ormes presented the experiences of Black Americans
in her comic strips
 (Choice B)
To show how Ormes’s Torchy Brown inspired other Black women to write comic
strips in the 1930s
(Choice C)
To claim that several characters in Torchy Brown were based on people that Ormes
knew personally
(Choice D)
To illustrate how the subjects Ormes addressed in her comic strips changed over
the course of her career

7. The following text is from the 1884 poem "Solitude" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone; For the brave
old earth must borrow its mirth, It has troubles enough of its own. Sing, and the
hills will answer; Sigh, it is lost on the air; The echoes rebound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To explore how people use laughter and song to cope with difficult emotions
(Choice B)
To make the case that it is only through solitude that we can come to truly
appreciate the full range of our emotions
(Choice C)
To argue that people should be equally sympathetic toward the positive emotions
and the negative emotions of others
(Choice D)
To claim that positive emotions are well-received by the world, while negative
emotions are shunned

8. In many agricultural environments, the banks of streams are kept forested to

protect water quality, but it’s been unclear what effects these forests may have on
stream biodiversity. To investigate the issue, biologist Xingli Giam and colleagues
studied an Indonesian oil palm plantation, comparing the species richness of
forested streams with that of nonforested streams. Giam and colleagues found that
species richness was significantly higher in forested streams, a finding the
researchers attribute to the role leaf litter plays in sheltering fish from predators
and providing food resources.
 Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
(Choice A)
It explains the differences between stream-protection strategies used in oil palm
plantations and stream-protection strategies used in other kinds of agricultural
environments.
(Choice B)
It presents a study that addresses an unresolved question about the presence of
forests along streams in agricultural environments.
(Choice C)
It discusses research intended to settle a debate about how agricultural yields can
be increased without negative effects on water quality.
(Choice D)
It describes findings that challenge a previously held view about how fish that
inhabit streams in agricultural environments attempt to avoid predators.

9. Many films from the early 1900s have been lost. These losses include several films
by the first wave of Black women filmmakers. We know about these lost movies
only from small pieces of evidence. For example, an advertisement for Jennie
Louise Touissant Welcome’s documentary Doing Their Bit still exists. There’s a
reference in a magazine to Tressie Souders’s film A Woman’s Error. And Maria P.
Williams’s The Flames of Wrath is mentioned in a letter and a newspaper article,
and one image from the movie was discovered in the 1990s.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
The text discusses several notable individuals, then explains commonly overlooked
differences between those individuals.
(Choice B)
The text describes a general situation, then illustrates that situation with specific
examples.
(Choice C)
The text identifies a complex problem, then presents examples of unsuccessful
attempts to solve that problem.
(Choice D)
The text summarizes a debate among researchers, then gives reasons for supporting
one side in that debate.
10.Researchers have found a nearly 164,000-year-old molar from a member of the
archaic human species known as Denisovans in a cave in Laos, suggesting that
Denisovans lived in a wider range of environments than indicated by earlier
evidence. Before the discovery, Denisovans were thought to have lived only at
high altitudes in relatively cold climates in what are now Russia and China, but the
discovery of the tooth in Laos suggests that they may have lived at low altitudes in
relatively warm climates in Southeast Asia as well.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It defines a term used in the description that follows in the rest of the sentence.
(Choice B)
It emphasizes the main goal of the research introduced in the previous sentence.
(Choice C)
It provides context that clarifies the significance of the information that follows in
the rest of the sentence.
(Choice D)
It dismisses as untrue the research presented in the previous sentence.

11.Historians Tiya Miles and Roy E. Finkenbine have both documented the assistance
Indigenous peoples gave to Black freedom seekers leaving the South before the US
Civil War. Much of the historical evidence of this help comes from Indigenous oral
traditions and from autobiographies written by the freedom seekers. One such
narrative is Jermain Loguen’s autobiography, which tells about
how Neshnabé (Potawatomi) villagers offered him food, lodging, and directions
during his 1835 journey from Tennessee to Canada.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

(Choice A)
It suggests that most historians believe that Neshnabé villagers were more
successful in assisting freedom seekers than other people were.
(Choice B)
It shows why Loguen decided to write in great detail about his experiences
traveling from Tennessee to Canada in his autobiography.
(Choice C)
It provides an example of an autobiography that describes help given by an
Indigenous people to a Black freedom seeker.
 (Choice D)
It argues that autobiographies are particularly important sources of information
about geography in the United States before the Civil War.

12.The following text is excerpted from The Red Badge of Courage, an 1895 novel by
Stephen Crane. In the text, a young Civil War soldier named Henry reflects in the
aftermath of fighting a battle.
The procession of weary soldiers became a bedraggled train, despondent and
muttering, marching with churning effort in a trough of liquid brown mud under a
low, wretched sky. Yet the youth smiled, for he saw that the world was a world for
him, though many discovered it to be made of curses and walking sticks. He had
rid himself of the red sickness of battle. The sultry nightmare was in the past. He
had been an animal blistered and sweating in the heat and pain of war. He turned
now with great thirst to images of tranquil skies, fresh meadows, cool brooks—an
existence of soft and eternal peace.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It contrasts Henry's emotional state with that of the other soldiers.
(Choice B)
It highlights the physical and emotional toll that the war has taken on the soldiers.
(Choice C)
It presents a shift in Henry's perception of the natural world.
(Choice D)
It emphasizes Henry’s sense of exhaustion in the aftermath of the battle.

13.Mathematician Claude Shannon is widely regarded as a foundational figure in

information theory. His most important paper, “A Mathematical Theory of
Communication,” published in 1948 when he was employed at Bell Labs, utilized
a concept called a “binary digit” (shortened to “bit”) to measure the amount of
information in any signal and determine the fastest rate at which information could
be transmitted while still being reliably decipherable. Robert Gallagher, one of
Shannon’s colleagues, said that the bit was “[Shannon’s] discovery, and from it the
whole communications revolution has sprung.”
 Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
(Choice A)
It introduces a respected researcher, describes an aspect of his work, and suggests
why the work is historically significant.
(Choice B)
It names the company where an important mathematician worked, details the
mathematician’s career at the company, and provides an example of the
recognition he received there.
(Choice C)
It mentions a paper, offers a summary of the paper’s findings, and presents a
researcher’s commentary on the paper.
(Choice D)
It presents a theoretical concept, illustrates how the name of the concept has
changed, and shows how the name has entered common usage.

14.According to Indian economist and sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–

1968), the Eurocentric concepts that informed early twentieth-century social
scientific methods—for example, the idea that all social relations are reducible to
struggles between individuals—had little relevance for India. Making the social
sciences more responsive to Indians’ needs, Mukerjee argued, required
constructing analytical categories informed by India’s cultural and ecological
circumstances. Mukerjee thus proposed the communalist “Indian village” as the
ideal model on which to base Indian economic and social policy.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
The text recounts Mukerjee’s early training in the social scientific disciplines and
then lists social policies whose implementation Mukerjee oversaw.
(Choice B)
The text explains an influential economic theory and then demonstrates how that
theory was more important to Mukerjee’s work than other social scientists have
acknowledged.
(Choice C)
The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an
example of his attempts to address issues he identified in his critique.
(Choice D)
The text mentions some of Mukerjee’s economic theories and then traces their
impact on other Indian social scientists of the twentieth century.
15.Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds
of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of lunar regolith—the surface material of the
Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all
the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared
with those in the control group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group,
the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and
inhibited growth rates— indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest
molecular analysis.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant
species to lunar soil conditions.
(Choice B)
It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar
habitats is an unattainable goal.
(Choice C)
It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent
to which lunar regolith resembles terrestrial soils.
(Choice D)
It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown
in a simulated lunar environment.

16.Raymond Antrobus, an accomplished poet and writer of prose, recently released

his debut spoken word poetry album, The First Time I Wore Hearing Aids, in
collaboration with producer Ian Brennan. The album contains both
autobiographical and reflective pieces combining Antrobus’s spoken words with
Brennan’s fragmented audio elements and pieces of music to convey how people
who are deaf may experience sound, both its presence and absence. Some critics
suggest that the album questions the function of sound in the world, highlighting
that the experience of sound is multifaceted.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
It mentions a collection of spoken word poems, distinguishes one poem as being an
exemplar on the album, and then offers a summary of the subject matter of the
whole collection.
 (Choice B)
It introduces a collaborative spoken word poetry project, details the approach taken
to produce the work, and then provides an example of critique the album received
upon release.
(Choice C)
It connects two artists to the same spoken word poetry project, explains the extent
of their collaboration on each poem, and then provides an overview of the
technique used to produce the work.
(Choice D)
It summarizes the efforts to produce a collection of spoken word poems, presents
biographies of two people who worked on the album, and speculates about the
meaning behind the poetry.

17.The beaver is a keystone species in North America, where it evolved in symbiosis

with the aspen tree. Beavers were introduced to Patagonia (a region encompassing
the southernmost tip of South America) in 1946, where they encountered an
abundance of Nothofagus trees, a type of southern beech. From this, it was
discovered that the evolutionary symbiosis that the beaver has with the aspen tree
does not preclude it from forming new relationships with different tree
species. Within a few years, the beavers had changed the ecosystem in Patagonia
by utilizing Nothofagus trees much in the same way they interact with Aspens in
North America.

Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall
structure of the text?
(Choice A)
It contrasts the beaver’s relationship with the aspen tree to the beaver’s relationship
with the Nothofagus tree.
(Choice B)
It states a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the beavers
and Nothofagus trees.
(Choice C)
It describes how the beaver was first introduced to Patagonia.
(Choice D)
It provides context that clarifies why the beaver evolved to form symbiotic
relationships with different tree species.
18.The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1857 novel The Confidence-
Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.
Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening
party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his
lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as
were disposed to admire. Great was the savant’s disdain; but, chancing ere long to
find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when
he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was
altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a
personage than Sir Humphry Davy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
It explains why one character dislikes another.
(Choice B)
It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.
(Choice C)
It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.
(Choice D)
It presents an account of a misunderstanding.

19.Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural

and domestic site in Texas, archaeologist Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black
women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to fasten their
clothes at the waist, giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was
popular in contemporary fashion and typically achieved through more restrictive
garments such as corsets. Flewellen argues that this sartorial practice shows that
these women balanced hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of
their physically demanding occupation.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban
fashion ideals on Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-
century Texas
(Choice B)
To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher’s view of how
rapidly fashions among Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century Texas changed during the period
 (Choice C)
To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion
practice among Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-
century Texas
(Choice D)
To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers
in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Texas used fashion practices to resist
traditional gender ideals.

20.The following text is from Joseph Conrad’s 1907 novel The Secret Agent: A Simple
Tale. Mr. Verloc is navigating the London streets on his way to a meeting. Before
reaching Knightsbridge, Mr. Verloc took a turn to the left out of the busy main
thoroughfare, uproarious with the traffic of swaying omnibuses and trotting vans,
in the almost silent, swift flow of hansoms [horse-drawn carriages]. Under his hat,
worn with a slight backward tilt, his hair had been carefully brushed into respectful
sleekness; for his business was with an Embassy. And Mr. Verloc, steady like a
rock—a soft kind of rock—marched now along a street which could with every
propriety be described as private.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It contrasts Mr. Verloc with his surroundings.
(Choice B)
It emphasizes an internal struggle Mr. Verloc experiences.
(Choice C)
It qualifies an earlier description of Mr. Verloc.
(Choice D)
It reveals a private opinion Mr. Verloc holds.

21.Works of moral philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean

Ethics, are partly concerned with how to live a morally good life. But philosopher
Jonathan Barnes argues that works that present a method of living such a life
without also supplying a motive are inherently useful only to those already wishing
to be morally good—those with no desire for moral goodness will not choose to
follow their rules. However, some works of moral philosophy attempt to describe
what constitutes a morally good life while also proposing reasons for living one.
 Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
(Choice A)
It mentions two renowned works and then claims that despite their popularity it is
impossible for these works to serve the purpose their authors intended.
(Choice B)
It summarizes the history of a field of thought by discussing two works and then
proposes a topic of further research for specialists in that field.
(Choice C)
It describes two influential works and then explains why one is more widely read
than the other.
(Choice D)
It provides a characterization about a field of thought by noting two works in it and
then details a way in which some works in that field are more comprehensive than
others.

22.In Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, an almost imperceptible smile from
potential suitor Henry Crawford causes the protagonist Fanny Price to blush; her
embarrassment grows when she suspects that he is aware of it. This moment—in
which Fanny not only infers Henry’s mental state through his gestures, but also
infers that he is drawing inferences about her mental state—illustrates what literary
scholar George Butte calls “deep intersubjectivity,” a technique for representing
interactions between consciousnesses through which Austen’s novels derive much
of their social and psychological drama.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It advances an interpretation of an Austen protagonist who is contrasted with
protagonists from other Austen novels cited in the following sentence.
(Choice B)
It provides a synopsis of an interaction in an Austen novel that illustrates a literary
concept discussed in the following sentence.
(Choice C)
It describes a recurring theme in Austen’s novels that is the focus of a literary
scholar’s analysis summarized in the following sentence.
(Choice D)
It states a claim about Austen’s skill at representing psychological complexity that
is reinforced by an example presented in the following sentence.
23.Psychologists have long debated whether bilingualism has an effect on cognitive
development and executive function. They have not reached a consensus, however,
because different studies have used different criteria and measures to define and
assess bilingualism and its outcomes. Linguist Minna Lehtonen and colleagues
recently proposed a new framework for conceptualizing and assessing bilingualism
that takes into account both linguistic and cognitive factors, but acknowledged that
more empirical data and validation are needed to test its applicability and
reliability.

Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall
structure of the text?
(Choice A)
It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the new framework proposed by
Lehtonen and colleagues.
(Choice B)
It summarizes inconsistencies in past research that Lehtonen and colleagues aimed
to address.
(Choice C)
It contrasts the approach of Lehtonen and colleagues with those of previous studies
on bilingualism.
(Choice D)
It suggests a possible implication of Lehtonen and colleagues' new framework for
future studies.

24.Horizontal gene transfer occurs when an organism of one species acquires genetic
material from an organism of another species through nonreproductive means. The
genetic material can then be transferred “vertically” in the second species—that is,
through reproductive inheritance. Scientist Atma Ivancevic and her team have
hypothesized infection by invertebrate parasites as a mechanism of horizontal gene
transfer between vertebrate species: while feeding, a parasite could acquire a gene
from one host, then relocate to a host from a different vertebrate species and
transfer the gene to it in turn.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It explains why parasites are less susceptible to horizontal gene transfer than their
hosts are.
 (Choice B)
It clarifies why some genes are more likely to be transferred horizontally than
others are.
(Choice C)
It contrasts how horizontal gene transfer occurs among vertebrates with how it
occurs among Invertebrates.
(Choice D)
It describes a means by which horizontal gene transfer might occur among
vertebrates.

25.Archeological excavation of Market Street Chinatown, a nineteenth-century

Chinese American community in San Jose, California, provided the first evidence
that Asian food products were imported to the United States in the 1800s: bones
from a freshwater fish species native to Southeast Asia.* Jinshanzhuang* —Hong
Kong–based import/export firms—likely coordinated the fish’s transport from
Chinese-operated fisheries in Vietnam and Malaysia to North American
markets. This route reveals the (often overlooked) multinational dimensions of the
trade networks linking Chinese diaspora communities.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It provides information that helps support a claim about a discovery’s significance
that is presented in the following sentence.
(Choice B)
It explains why efforts to determine the country of origin of the items mentioned in
the previous sentence remain inconclusive.
(Choice C)
It outlines a hypothesis that additional evidence discussed in the following
sentence casts some doubt on.
(Choice D)
It traces the steps that were taken to locate and recover the objects that are
described in the previous sentence.

26.Composer Florence Price won first place for her score Symphony in E Minor at the
1932 Wanamaker Foundation Awards. The piece was performed the following
year by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a significant recognition of its quality.
Price continued to compose many musical pieces throughout her career, blending
traditional Black spirituals with classical European Romantic musical traditions. In
 recent years, Price’s concertos and symphonies have been performed and recorded
by several major orchestras, further preserving her work for others to enjoy.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
(Choice A)
To describe the musical styles that inspired many of Price’s symphonies
(Choice B)
To provide examples of Price’s importance as a composer
(Choice C)
To argue that more major orchestras should perform Price’s compositions
(Choice D)
To compare Price’s scores with those of classical European composers

27.In his novel The Savage Detectives, Chilean author Roberto Bolaño depicts a group
of bohemian poets who are pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. The
novel is loosely based on the Infrarealist poetry movement that Bolaño was a part
of in Mexico City in the 1970s. Like the real-life Infrarealists, the characters in The
Savage Detectives are often in conflict with the mainstream literary establishment.
While the novel is fictional, its resemblance to the real Infrarealist movement
offers a revealing glimpse into that period of Latin American literary history.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To argue that The Savage Detectives provides genuine historical insight despite
being fictional.
(Choice B)
To examine the conflicts between Infrarealist poets and the mainstream literary
establishment.
(Choice C)
To explain how poetry evolved throughout the 1970s in Mexico City.
(Choice D)
To present Roberto Bolaño’s literary achievements and explore his impact on Latin
American literary history.

28.The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde’s 1897 nonfiction work De
Profundis.
People whose desire is solely for self-realisation never know where they are going.
They can’t know. In one sense of the word it is of course necessary to know
oneself: that is the first achievement of knowledge. But to recognise that the soul
of a man is unknowable, is the ultimate achievement of wisdom. The final mystery
is oneself. When one has weighed the sun in the balance, and measured the steps of
 the moon, and mapped out the seven heavens star by star, there still remains
oneself. Who can calculate the orbit of his own soul?

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a
whole?
(Choice A)
It cautions readers that the text’s directions for how to achieve self-knowledge are
hard to follow.
(Choice B)
It concedes that the definition of self-knowledge advanced in the text is unpopular.
(Choice C)
It reinforces the text’s skepticism about the possibility of truly achieving self-
knowledge.
(Choice D)
It speculates that some readers will share the doubts expressed in the text about the
value of self-knowledge.

29.Michelene Pesantubbee, a historian and citizen of the Choctaw Nation, has

identified a dilemma inherent to research on the status of women in her tribe
during the 1600s and 1700s: the primary sources from that era, travel narratives
and other accounts by male European colonizers, underestimate the degree of
power conferred on Choctaw women by their traditional roles in political, civic,
and ceremonial life. Pesantubbee argues that the Choctaw oral tradition and
findings from archaeological sites in the tribe’s homeland supplement the written
record by providing crucial insights into those roles.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
It details the shortcomings of certain historical sources, then argues that research
should avoid those sources altogether.
(Choice B)
It describes a problem that arises in research on a particular topic, then sketches a
historian’s approach to addressing that problem.
(Choice C)
It lists the advantages of a particular research method, then acknowledges a
historian’s criticism of that method.
(Choice D)
It characterizes a particular topic as especially challenging to research, then
suggests a related topic for historians to pursue instead.
30.Many archaeologists assume that large-scale engineering projects in ancient
societies required an elite class to plan and direct the necessary labor. However,
recent discoveries, such as the excavation of an ancient canal near the Gulf Coast
of Alabama, have complicated this picture. Using radiocarbon dating, a team of
researchers concluded that the 1.39-kilometer-long canal was most likely
constructed between 576 and 650 CE by an Indigenous society that was relatively
free of social classes.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
It presents contradictory conclusions drawn by archaeologists, then evaluates a
study that has apparently resolved that contradiction.
(Choice B)
It describes a common view among archaeologists, then discusses a recent finding
that challenges that view.
(Choice C)
It outlines a method used in some archaeological fieldwork, then explains why an
alternative method is superior to it.
(Choice D)
It identifies a gap in scientific research, then presents a strategy used by some
archaeologists to remedy that gap.

31.The following text is adapted from Charles Dickens’s 1854 novel Hard
Times. Coketown is a fictional town in England.
[Coketown] contained several large streets all very like one another, and many
small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one
another, who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound upon the
same pavements, to do the same work, and to whom every day was the same as
yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To explain the limited work opportunities available to the town’s residents
(Choice B)
To emphasize the uniformity of both the town and the people who live there
(Choice C)
To argue that the simplicity of life in the town makes it a pleasant place to live
(Choice D)
To reveal how the predictability of the town makes it easy for people lose track of
time
32.In 1973, poet Miguel Algarín started inviting other writers who, like him, were
Nuyorican—a term for New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage—to gather in his
apartment to present their work. The gatherings were so well attended that Algarín
soon had to rent space in a cafe to accommodate them. Thus, the Nuyorican Poets
Cafe was born. Moving to a permanent location in 1981, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
expanded its original scope beyond the written word, hosting art exhibitions and
musical performances as well. Half a century since its inception, it continues to
foster emerging Nuyorican talent.

Which choice best describes the overall purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To explain what motivated Algarín to found the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
(Choice B)
To situate the Nuyorican Poets Cafe within the cultural life of New York as a
whole
(Choice C)
To discuss why the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its scope to include art and
music
(Choice D)
To provide an overview of the founding and mission of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

33.In the Here and Now Storybook (1921), educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell advanced
the then controversial idea that books for very young children should imitate how
they use language, since toddlers, who cannot yet grasp narrative or abstract ideas,
seek reassurance in verbal repetition and naming. The most enduring example of
this idea is Margaret Wise Brown’s 1947 picture book Goodnight Moon, in which
a young rabbit names the objects in his room as he drifts off to sleep. Scholars note
that the book’s emphasis on repetition, rhythm, and nonsense rhyme speaks
directly to Mitchell’s influence.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

(Choice A)
The text summarizes an argument about how children’s literature should be
evaluated and then discusses a contrasting view on that subject.
(Choice B)
The text outlines a debate between two authors of children’s literature and then
traces how that debate shaped theories on early childhood education.
 (Choice C)
The text lists the literary characteristics that are common to many classics of
children’s literature and then indicates the narrative subjects that are most
appropriate for young children.
(Choice D)
The text presents a philosophy about what material is most suitable for children’s
literature and then describes a book influenced by that philosophy.

34.The following text is adapted from Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre. The
narrator, Jane, is reflecting on an incident with Mrs. Reed, her aunt and guardian.
A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done; cannot give its furious
feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards
the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction. Something of vengeance I had tasted
for the first time; as aromatic wine it seemed, on swallowing, warm and racy: its
after-flavour, metallic and corroding, gave me a sensation as if I had been
poisoned. Willingly would I now have gone and asked Mrs. Reed’s pardon; but I
knew that was the way to make her repulse me with double scorn, thereby re-
exciting every turbulent impulse of my nature.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

(Choice A)
To show the Jane's regret after her outburst against Mrs. Reed
(Choice B)
To portray Jane as a rebellious and angry child who deserves punishment
(Choice C)
To explore Jane's complex feelings of love and hate towards Mrs. Reed
(Choice D)
To reveal the source of Jane's resentment toward Mrs. Reed