Question 12·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
In her recent lecture, historian Maya Fernandez revisited the 15th-century voyages of Zheng He, arguing that they were less about exploration than about projecting Ming China’s domestic political stability. She counters the prevailing view that the massive treasure fleets prove an outward-looking court eager for trade and discovery. Indeed, Fernandez notes that the emperor issued strict orders forbidding captains from sailing to any port that had not already sent tribute, a policy that effectively limited the fleets to familiar diplomatic circuits. Such an emphasis, she contends, reframes the voyages as strategic displays intended primarily for an audience back home rather than genuine expeditions of discovery.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the passage as a whole?
For sentence-function questions, (1) state the passage’s central claim in your own words, (2) paraphrase the underlined sentence, and (3) name the relationship between them (evidence, explanation, concession, counterargument, etc.). Prefer choices that describe how the sentence supports or develops the author’s line of reasoning, and be wary of answers that introduce new issues (like documents or economic outcomes) that the sentence doesn’t actually address.
Hints
Find the main claim
What does Fernandez argue the voyages were really for: exploration, trade, or projecting political stability?
Restate the underlined sentence
In your own words, what rule did the emperor give, and how did that rule affect where the fleet could sail?
Decide what job that detail is doing
Does the sentence mainly give evidence for Fernandez’s claim, provide background, shift to a new topic, or raise/answer an objection?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what “function” is asking
A sentence’s function is the job it does in the passage: providing evidence, giving background, introducing a counterargument, clarifying a claim, etc. So first identify the main claim, then ask how the underlined sentence helps advance that claim.
Identify Fernandez’s main claim
Fernandez argues the voyages were “less about exploration than about projecting Ming China’s domestic political stability,” and she says this reframes them as strategic displays for an audience back home rather than expeditions of discovery.
Interpret the underlined sentence
The underlined sentence gives a concrete historical detail: the emperor forbade captains from sailing to ports that hadn’t already sent tribute, which kept the fleets in familiar diplomatic circuits. That detail supports the idea that the voyages were controlled and not aimed at discovering new places.
Match that role to the choices
Because the sentence supplies specific historical evidence that backs up Fernandez’s interpretation of the voyages’ purpose, the best answer is:
It provides historical detail that reinforces Fernandez’s argument about the purpose of the voyages.