Question 159·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
Archaeologists studying ancient trade networks in the Mediterranean have long debated whether small coastal villages participated directly in long-distance exchange or relied on larger port cities as intermediaries. Reasoning that the presence of imported pottery in modest dwellings would indicate direct participation, Marta Delgado analyzed artifact assemblages from five such villages dated to the same century. While imported wares were indeed present, Delgado observed that they clustered in buildings adjacent to administrative structures, not in typical homes, suggesting that centralized redistribution, rather than household-level exchange, accounted for the imports.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For overall-structure questions, first mark the major moves in the passage—what the beginning, middle, and end each do (introduce a debate, pose a hypothesis, present evidence, draw a conclusion, etc.). Then choose the option that matches both the number and order of those moves, paying special attention to whether the results support or undermine the initial expectation and whether the author proposes an alternative explanation.
Hints
Break the passage into sections
Try to separate the passage into three parts: the first sentence, the middle sentence, and the last sentence. Ask yourself what each part is doing: introducing an idea, describing a plan, giving results, or something else?
Focus on the second sentence
In the sentence that starts with "Reasoning that the presence of imported pottery...," what is Marta Delgado assuming, and what action does she take based on that assumption? Is she just thinking about the issue, or is she testing something in a concrete way?
Look closely at the final sentence
Does the last sentence show that the evidence strongly supports the initial expectation, weakens it, or suggests a different explanation altogether? How does that outcome affect the earlier debate mentioned at the start?
Compare the general pattern to the choices
After you’ve decided what each part of the passage does (debate, prediction/test, evidence, conclusion), eliminate choices that (a) claim the results confirmed the initial prediction, (b) shift the conclusion to something not mentioned (like port cities controlling access), or (c) say the passage leaves the issue unresolved even though it proposes an explanation.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the first sentence is doing
Look at the first sentence: it describes how archaeologists "have long debated" whether small villages traded directly or through large port cities. That means the passage opens by summarizing an ongoing scholarly debate with two positions (direct participation vs. reliance on intermediaries). Any correct answer must recognize this as the starting point.
See how the researcher connects to that debate
The second sentence introduces Marta Delgado and explains her reasoning: if small villages participated directly in long‑distance trade, we would expect to find imported pottery in modest dwellings. That is a testable prediction based on one side of the debate (the "direct participation" side). She then carries out a study by analyzing artifacts from five villages to check that prediction.
Notice how the evidence affects the prediction
The last sentence reports the findings: imported wares exist, but they are clustered near administrative structures, not in ordinary homes. This means the prediction about finding imports in typical dwellings is not supported. Delgado then proposes a different explanation: centralized redistribution, rather than household‑level exchange, explains the imports. So the structure is: test a specific expectation from the debate, see it contradicted by the evidence, and propose an alternative explanation.
Match this structure to the correct answer choice
Now compare each option to that pattern: (1) opening with a scholarly debate, (2) deriving and testing a concrete prediction from one side, and (3) presenting evidence that goes against that prediction and instead supports a new explanation (centralized redistribution). The first option exactly describes this sequence, so it is the correct answer.