Question 124·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
Many people assume that short naps during the workday inevitably reduce productivity. Yet research indicates that brief, carefully timed naps can sharpen attention and improve mood. Reflecting this, some companies have added quiet “rest pods” to their offices. Still, such programs require clear guidelines; naps that run too long can leave employees drowsy rather than refreshed.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For "overall structure" questions, first skim the passage and label each sentence or chunk with its role (for example: assumption, contrast, example, limitation). Then, in your own words, summarize the sequence of roles in one short sentence. Finally, eliminate any answer choices that mention elements the passage does not include (like history, predictions, detailed experiments, or explicit comparisons) and pick the choice whose description matches your quick structural summary, not just individual words from the text.
Hints
Look at the opening move
Focus on the first sentence. Is the author stating a fact, an opinion, an assumption, or something else?
Track the transition words
Pay attention to words like "Yet" and "Still." How do they signal changes in direction or add new layers to the argument?
Summarize the paragraph skeleton
In one short sentence, describe the sequence of ideas: what comes first, what comes next, and how it ends. Then compare that skeleton to each answer choice.
Eliminate options that add things not in the text
Ask yourself: Does the passage talk about history, future predictions, step-by-step instructions, or a direct comparison between two strategies? Cross out any answers that rely on those elements if they are missing from the passage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the first sentence is doing
Look at the first sentence: "Many people assume that short naps during the workday inevitably reduce productivity." This is not a fact the author is endorsing; it is a belief that "many people" hold. So the text opens by stating a common assumption about naps and productivity.
Notice how the second sentence responds to that assumption
The second sentence begins with "Yet," a signal word that often introduces contrast: "Yet research indicates that brief, carefully timed naps can sharpen attention and improve mood." This disagrees with or challenges the assumption in sentence one, using research as support.
See how the third sentence develops the idea
The third sentence says: "Reflecting this, some companies have added quiet ‘rest pods’ to their offices." The phrase "Reflecting this" shows that companies are responding to the research. This is a concrete example of how the research is applied in real workplaces.
Examine the role of the final sentence
The last sentence starts with "Still," another transition word, which often introduces a caution or limitation: "Still, such programs require clear guidelines; naps that run too long can leave employees drowsy rather than refreshed." This acknowledges a drawback or limitation of workplace nap programs.
Match this structure to the best answer choice
Overall, the text: (1) introduces a widely held assumption, (2) challenges it with research, (3) gives an example of companies acting on that research, and (4) adds a limitation or caution about the practice. The only answer choice that fits this structure is D) It challenges a common assumption by presenting evidence and examples, then notes a limitation.