Question 127·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a city council member’s newsletter about a new public library branch.
The new branch will extend weekday hours, offer free homework help and résumé workshops, and include a dedicated space for young children with daily story times. It will also partner with local artists to host monthly exhibits and provide laptops and Wi‑Fi hotspots for residents to borrow. Our goal is to ensure that every visitor can find a resource tailored to their needs.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions, first read the entire short passage, then ask: “What is the author mainly doing here—describing, arguing, criticizing, comparing, or telling a story?” Summarize the passage in your own words in 5–7 words (for example, “explains new library programs and features”), then pick the option that best matches that summary and eliminate choices that add extra ideas (like criticism, comparison, or personal stories) that never actually appear in the text.
Hints
Check the first and last sentences
Look at how the passage begins and ends. What is introduced in the first sentence, and what does the last sentence say about the author’s goal?
Look for what the author is doing, not just what is mentioned
Ask yourself: Is the author arguing, complaining, comparing, or mostly informing? Focus on the overall action the author takes across the whole text.
Scan for tone and content
Does the language sound critical, personal, or neutral and informative? Also, do you see any mentions of other cities, past policies, or personal pronouns like “I” describing an experience?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the general topic and context
Notice that the text comes from a city council member’s newsletter and is about “a new public library branch.” This tells you the author is likely informing residents about something related to city services, not telling a personal story or making an emotional argument.
Determine what the author is mainly doing in the passage
Look at the sentences: they mention extended weekday hours, free homework help, résumé workshops, a children’s space with story times, monthly art exhibits, and laptops and Wi‑Fi hotspots to borrow. The final sentence talks about the goal of helping every visitor find a resource they need. All of this is a list of offerings and features of the new branch, presented in a straightforward, descriptive way.
Match that main activity to the best choice
Now compare this overall purpose to the answer options. The passage is not criticizing old policies, not comparing this branch with other cities’ libraries, and not telling a personal story. It is mainly explaining what the new branch will provide, so the correct choice is A) To describe several services the new library branch will offer.