Question 105·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
A measure widely used to gauge economic progress—gross domestic product (GDP)—treats all spending as growth, whether on disaster recovery or preventive care. For analysts concerned with sustainability, that is a flaw: the metric does not distinguish costs from benefits. Several jurisdictions now publish a Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) that subtracts environmental degradation and accounts for unpaid care work. When Maryland reported both GDP and GPI in the same year, GDP rose while GPI was flat, a divergence policymakers used to frame budget debates. The point is not that GDP is useless, but that it answers a narrower question than its reputation suggests.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions, first summarize in your own words what the entire passage does, focusing on the first sentence, any example given, and especially the final sentence. Then scan the choices and eliminate any that (1) focus on just one detail instead of the whole passage, (2) add strong claims that are not stated (like “should be replaced” or “primary driver”), or (3) contradict the author’s stated attitude. Choose the option that best matches the overall structure and goal of the passage, not just a phrase or statistic that caught your eye.
Hints
Look at the beginning and end of the passage
Reread the first two sentences and the final sentence. Ask yourself: How does the author introduce GDP and GPI, and what overall point is made at the end?
Think about the author’s attitude toward GDP
Is the author completely rejecting GDP, or suggesting a more limited role for it? Pay close attention to the sentence that starts with “The point is not that GDP is useless…”
Consider why Maryland is mentioned
Ask yourself: Why does the author bring in the example of Maryland reporting both GDP and GPI? Is the purpose to talk about Maryland’s problems specifically, or to show something broader about the two indicators?
Watch out for answer choices that are too narrow or extreme
Check whether each choice tries to make the passage about just one detail (like environmental damage or unpaid care work) or about completely replacing GDP. The main purpose should fit the whole passage, not just one part.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the general topic and setup
Read the first few sentences to see what the text is mainly about.
- The passage starts by describing gross domestic product (GDP) as a widely used measure of economic progress.
- It then points out a flaw: GDP treats all spending as growth and does not distinguish costs from benefits.
- Next, the passage introduces the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), which adjusts for environmental damage and unpaid care work.
So the text is not just defining GDP, but setting up a comparison between GDP and another measure, GPI.
Understand the role of the Maryland example
Look at the middle of the passage where Maryland is mentioned.
- Maryland reports both GDP and GPI.
- In one year, GDP went up, but GPI stayed flat.
- This difference is described as a divergence that policymakers used to frame budget debates.
This example shows how using both measures together can reveal something that GDP alone would not show. The example supports the larger point about how these indicators relate to each other.
Use the final sentence to find the author’s main point
On SAT Reading & Writing, the last sentence often states or clarifies the main point.
- The final sentence says that the point is not that GDP is useless.
- Instead, GDP is said to answer a narrower question than its reputation suggests.
So the author is not arguing to throw out GDP. Rather, the author is clarifying how GDP should be understood and how it differs from GPI, especially when they give different results, as in Maryland.
Match this understanding to the best choice
Now compare your understanding to each answer choice:
- Eliminate choices that say GDP should be replaced or that focus only on one detail (like environmental damage or unpaid care work).
- Keep the choice that reflects both the comparison (GDP vs GPI) and the clarification of what each measure tells us.
The choice that best matches the passage’s purpose is: B) To illustrate how two economic indicators can yield different conclusions and to clarify what each measures.