Question 148·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
Many public libraries are experimenting with a "library of things," lending tools and equipment in addition to books. To see whether this approach meets community needs, a suburban branch piloted a small inventory of items such as sewing machines and pressure washers. In the first six months, the branch recorded 800 loans and a 95% on-time return rate, with patrons most frequently borrowing sewing machines. Staff used these results to argue for expanding the program systemwide.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?
For “function of the underlined sentence” questions, read the sentence immediately before and after the underlined sentence to identify the local purpose. Then describe what the underlined sentence is doing (providing data, giving an example, defining a term, adding contrast, etc.). Eliminate choices that describe actions the sentence clearly does not perform, and select the option that best matches the sentence’s role in supporting or developing the surrounding idea.
Hints
Look at what comes right before
Focus on the sentence just before the underlined one. What is the library trying to do by piloting a small inventory of items?
Notice the kind of information in the underlined sentence
Decide whether the underlined sentence is giving a definition, describing results, expressing an opinion, or something else. What do the numbers suggest?
Connect the sentence to the author’s purpose
Ask: How do these details help develop the idea in the previous sentence—do they prove something, define something, or summarize something?
Test each choice against the text
For each option, check whether the underlined sentence really performs that action (define, admit a weakness, summarize, or provide support).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the surrounding context
Read the sentence before the underlined part: “To see whether this approach meets community needs, a suburban branch piloted a small inventory of items such as sewing machines and pressure washers.” This sets up the purpose of the pilot: to test whether the approach meets community needs.
Examine what the underlined sentence says
The underlined sentence reports specific results: 800 loans, a 95% on-time return rate, and which item was borrowed most often. These are measurable outcomes (data), not definitions or opinions.
Determine the sentence’s function
Those numbers and details show how the pilot performed, giving concrete evidence that the pilot generated substantial use and timely returns—information that helps evaluate whether the approach meets community needs.
Match to the best choice
Since the sentence provides numerical results to support the prior point about assessing community needs, the best answer is: It supplies numerical evidence that supports the preceding claim.