Question 147·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
Writing on urban history, Mei Lin argues that the familiar description of late–nineteenth-century port cities as “gateways to modernity” obscures how access to new infrastructure was rationed. After noting that municipal planners routed paved roads and electric lighting first to docks and elite boulevards, Lin cites tax ledgers and maintenance logs indicating that outlying wards waited years for comparable improvements. She then emphasizes that residents of these neglected districts were not passive: neighborhood associations pooled funds to light unserved alleys, and market vendors adjusted hours to align with steamship arrivals. Lin concludes that modernity in the port did not simply arrive as policy but was assembled through practices that official narratives overlook.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For text-structure questions, quickly outline the paragraph’s major moves (what the author does first, next, and last). Then choose the option that accounts for all the moves—especially the conclusion—while eliminating options that omit a key shift in focus (like moving from policy records to residents’ agency) or add actions the passage doesn’t take.
Hints
Chunk the paragraph
Label what the author is doing in the beginning, middle, and end (claim → evidence → conclusion/shift).
Name the first move
In the first sentence, is the author accepting a familiar description, or pushing back against it?
Identify what the records are doing
What role do the tax ledgers and maintenance logs play—new topic, or support for the earlier claim?
Characterize the ending
Does the conclusion merely restate the critique, or does it change the frame by emphasizing something the “official narratives” miss?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the opening move
The first sentence introduces a familiar description (“gateways to modernity”) and immediately argues that it obscures an important reality. That signals the text begins by challenging a common portrayal.
Track how the text supports the challenge
The middle sentences provide specific support: planners prioritized docks and elite boulevards, and records (tax ledgers, maintenance logs) show outlying wards waited years. These are documentary examples used to back up the initial critique.
Describe the concluding shift
The text then emphasizes that neglected residents “were not passive,” giving examples of neighborhood associations and vendors adapting. The final sentence generalizes from this: modernity was “assembled through practices” that official narratives overlook—this is a reframing that highlights grassroots agency.
Match the passage’s moves to the best structural description
The overall structure is: challenge a common portrayal → support with documentary examples → reframe by emphasizing grassroots practices.
Therefore, the best answer is: "It challenges a common portrayal, supports the challenge with documentary examples, and then reframes the subject by emphasizing grassroots practices."