Question 17·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from Kathleen Bright’s 1912 diary entry.
With the final rays of dusk filtering through the stained-glass windows, I set each chair in perfect alignment, pausing now and again to hush the echo of my footfall upon the marble floor. The lecture hall, once clamorous with midday study, had settled into an expectant hush; even the dust motes seemed to hover in orderly anticipation. On the podium lay Professor Alden’s slender sheaf of notes—ink still glistening—while the great clock above whispered its measured encouragement toward seven. All was arranged; all waited for the first curious mind to cross the threshold.
Which choice best describes the primary purpose of the passage?
For "primary purpose" questions, first paraphrase the passage in one simple sentence without looking at the choices; focus on what the author spends the most time describing and the overall tone (positive, negative, neutral). Then, go through each answer and eliminate any that (1) introduce ideas not in the passage (like comparisons, arguments, or emotions that never appear), or (2) misrepresent the tone (e.g., calling something critical when it sounds admiring). The correct answer should be a broad, accurate summary of what the passage as a whole is mainly doing, not a detail or a guess about what happens next.
Hints
Identify what is being described most
Reread the passage and ask yourself: Is the writer mainly talking about events, about feelings, or about the setting? Underline the phrases that describe the room and what the speaker is doing to it.
Consider the tone of the description
Does the passage sound positive, negative, anxious, critical, or calm and appreciative? Look for words like "hush," "expectant hush," and "measured encouragement" to help you decide.
Test each option against the actual content
For each answer choice, ask: Do I see clear evidence of this in the passage? For example, if an answer mentions comparison, fear, or criticism, find the exact lines that would show that—or decide that they aren’t there.
Step-by-step Explanation
Summarize what is happening in the passage
Read the passage and put it in your own words. The speaker is arranging chairs, quieting her footsteps, noticing dust motes, a clock, and the professor’s notes as the hall becomes quiet before a lecture. Nothing else happens: it’s all about setting up the room and the mood before people arrive.
Notice the focus and tone
Ask: What is the author spending most of the words on? The passage spends many descriptive phrases on the setting and the care taken in arranging it: "each chair in perfect alignment," "hush the echo of my footfall," dust motes in "orderly anticipation." The tone is calm, admiring, and almost reverent about how everything is arranged and waiting, not angry, fearful, or humorous.
Check each answer against that focus and tone
Now test each choice:
- Does the passage talk about earlier times versus now (comparison of past and present)?
- Does it show the speaker feeling nervous or afraid about the lecture?
- Does it criticize or make fun of academic customs and formalities?
- Or does it mainly show how the speaker’s actions in getting everything ready create a particular mood in the hall?
Eliminate any answer that adds ideas not supported by the passage (like comparisons, emotions, or criticism that aren’t actually there).
Match the best answer to the passage’s description
The only choice that matches the passage is the one that says the author is showing how the speaker’s careful preparations (arranging chairs, quieting sounds, noticing the notes and clock) change the lecture hall from a midday, noisy space into a quiet, expectant, almost magical atmosphere before the lecture begins. Therefore, the correct answer is C) To illustrate how careful preparation transforms the hall’s atmosphere.