Take this Quiz: SAT — text structure and purpose | Zestly

Question 1

Consider this passage. "Dr. Aris Thorne argues that the rapid decline of the Veridian forest is due chiefly to soil acidification rather than to climate fluctuation. He points to the raised concentration of aluminum ions in the root zones of the dying trees as the catalyst for that chemical imbalance. While some critics hold that rising temperatures are the main driver, Thorne maintains that the composition of the soil is the more immediate threat to the ecosystem." Which choice best describes the function of the sentence "While some critics hold that rising temperatures are the main driver, Thorne maintains that the composition of the soil is the more immediate threat to the ecosystem" in the writer's argument?

Accepted Answer

It gives a rival explanation a hearing and then restates the writer's own position against it.

Answer

It offers evidence that aluminum ions are the catalyst for the forest's decline.

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It states that the critics prefer a temperature explanation while Thorne prefers a chemical one.

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It sets out the method by which Thorne measured the effect of temperature on the trees.

Question 2

Consider this passage. "The new transit policy in Oakhaven has brought a marked fall in traffic congestion at peak hours. It has also brought a marked rise in complaints from suburban districts about how rarely the buses now run. Despite these difficulties, the city planners insist that the overall cut in carbon emissions justifies the scheduling they have adopted." Which choice best describes the overall structure of the writer's argument?

Accepted Answer

A positive outcome is reported, a cost that came with it is acknowledged, and the policy's main objective is then defended.

Answer

A successful initiative is described, its unintended consequences are detailed, and a new remedy for them is proposed.

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A problem in urban transit is outlined, an attempt to fix it is described, and that attempt is judged a failure.

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Two transit policies are compared, one is shown to be better than the other, and a compromise between them is suggested.

Question 3

Consider this passage. "Historian Elena Vance argues that the 1842 Treaty of Mallow was not a diplomatic triumph but a strategic blunder for the coastal provinces. She notes that the treaty made those provinces surrender their principal trade routes to the inland territories without any reciprocal economic concession. This loss of revenue crippled the coastal economy for over a decade. By preferring a short peace to long stability, the negotiators prepared the ground for the unrest that followed." Which choice best describes the function of the sentence "This loss of revenue crippled the coastal economy for over a decade" in the writer's argument?

Accepted Answer

It gives the consequence of the loss described in the sentence before it.

Answer

It introduces the argument's thesis about the treaty of 1842.

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It offers a reason for doubting that the treaty was a blunder.

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It states that the coastal economy suffered for more than ten years.

Question 4

Consider this passage. "In the early twentieth century the artistic movement known as Neo-Linearism set out to strip away the emotional excess of traditional portraiture. Its painters worked with geometric precision and with primary colors alone. Critics of the day dismissed the results as cold and mechanical, lacking the human soul they found in classical art. The movement nonetheless took hold among younger painters, who saw the refusal of sentiment as a step modern expression had to take." Which choice best describes the overall structure of the writer's argument?

Answer

A movement is defined, the criticism it attracted is reported, and the reason it took hold regardless is explained.

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The development of portraiture is traced, Neo-Linearism is judged a failure, and examples of its decline are given.

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Neo-Linearism is compared with classical art, both are found equally important, and the two are reconciled.

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The techniques of a movement are outlined, the painters who founded it are listed, and their want of feeling is criticized.

Question 5

Consider this passage. "The discovery of the Aethelgard manuscript has obliged scholars to reconsider the origins of the Great Northern Migration. It had been widely believed that the migration was set off by a sudden collapse in agricultural yields. The manuscript, however, contains detailed records of trade surpluses through the years in question. These records suggest that the migration was driven by a wish for wider market access rather than by a struggle to survive." Which choice best describes the function of the sentence "These records suggest that the migration was driven by a wish for wider market access rather than by a struggle to survive" in the writer's argument?

Answer

It offers evidence that the migration was caused by a failure of the harvests.

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It draws the conclusion that the newly found records support.

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It restates the view that scholars held before the manuscript came to light.

Answer

It states that the migration was about market access rather than about survival.