Question 135·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
In her role as community archivist, Tamera Liu launched the "First Drafts" initiative, which displays writers’ early notebooks alongside their published books. The exhibit pairs selected pages to expose revisions, adding curator’s notes that trace how moments of uncertainty become later decisions about plot and voice. By foregrounding the messiness of composition, the project argues that finished works often conceal collaborative and iterative labor.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For structure questions, label the function of each sentence (e.g., introduce a thing, explain how it works, state the purpose/claim). Then choose the answer that matches that sequence. Eliminate choices that (1) subtly reorder the moves, (2) narrow the conclusion to a smaller point than the text’s final claim, or (3) replace the passage’s concluding claim with a different one.
Hints
Look at what each sentence is doing, not just what it’s about
Ask yourself: Does the first sentence mainly introduce something, describe a process, make an argument, or something else? Then do the same for the second and third sentences.
Check whether the passage focuses on individuals or on a project
Notice whether the text is telling the story of one writer’s personal journey, comparing multiple things, or explaining a single initiative aimed at many writers.
Scan for elements mentioned in the answer choices
Be alert for answers that claim the passage gives specific examples or starts with a big claim. If the passage doesn’t actually do those things, the structure won’t match.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks for the overall structure of the text. That means you are not just looking for the topic, but for how the ideas are organized from beginning to end: what the text does first, what it does next, and what it does last.
Break the passage into logical parts
Read each sentence and ask what job it does:
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Sentence 1: "In her role as community archivist, Tamera Liu launched the 'First Drafts' initiative, which displays writers’ early notebooks alongside their published books."
- Introduces a public project/exhibit and what it displays.
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Sentence 2: "The exhibit pairs selected pages to expose revisions, adding curator’s notes that trace how moments of uncertainty become later decisions about plot and voice."
- Explains how the exhibit is organized and how it works (pairing pages; adding curator’s notes).
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Sentence 3: "By foregrounding the messiness of composition, the project argues that finished works often conceal collaborative and iterative labor."
- States the exhibit’s broader claim about creative work.
Eliminate choices that don’t match what the passage does
Compare each choice to the passage’s three moves (introduce exhibit → explain method → state claim):
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Choice B: Accurately reflects the first two sentences, but it treats the emphasis as ending with uncertainty shaping plot/voice. The passage does mention that idea, but the final sentence adds a broader claim about how finished works can conceal collaborative and iterative labor.
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Choice C: Includes the key claim about hidden labor, but it says the passage states that claim before describing the page-pairing/annotation method. In the passage, the method comes second and the claim comes last.
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Choice D: Matches the first two sentences but changes the concluding point to a claim about individual genius, which the passage does not argue.
Eliminate B, C, and D for these mismatches.
Match the remaining choice to each part of the passage
The remaining choice says the text:
- "presents a public exhibit" – matches Sentence 1 (introduces "First Drafts" and what it displays).
- "describes the curatorial method used to organize materials" – matches Sentence 2 (pairing pages; curator’s notes).
- "states the exhibit’s overarching claim about creative work" – matches Sentence 3 (finished works can conceal collaborative, iterative labor).
So the best description of the text’s overall structure is: It presents a public exhibit, describes the curatorial method used to organize materials, and states the exhibit’s overarching claim about creative work.