Question 2·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a mid-twentieth-century speech by an urban planner.
At first, we imagined the metropolis of tomorrow as a panorama of glass: highways curled like ribbons, towers glittering above the clouds, every convenience arriving at the press of a button. Yet as the models multiplied, we discovered another picture behind the gleam: neighborhoods sliced apart by elevated roads, parks shrunk to token lawns, children hemmed in by traffic. If we are to build wisely, we must let that second image guide the first.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For SAT text-structure questions, first break the passage into 2–3 logical parts (often separated by sentence boundaries or transition words like "Yet," "However," or "Therefore"). Quickly label each part in your own words (e.g., "positive vision," "negative effects," "warning"), then scan the answer choices for the one that matches this sequence. Eliminate any choices that mention elements the passage never uses (like questions, anecdotes, or solutions) or that reverse the order of ideas, and avoid being distracted by content details—focus on the pattern of how the author develops and concludes the paragraph.
Hints
Look for shifts in tone and signal words
Pay attention to words like "At first" and "Yet." How does the feeling of the description change when you reach the sentence starting with "Yet"?
Focus on the last sentence’s purpose
Read the final sentence carefully: is the speaker simply describing, or giving advice or a warning? How does that sentence relate to the two earlier "images"?
Eliminate structurally impossible choices
Check whether the passage actually includes a question, a list of problems followed by a solution, or stories from history. Cross out any answer that mentions elements that never appear in the text.
Step-by-step Explanation
Break the passage into its main parts
Notice that the passage naturally falls into three segments:
- Sentence 1: "At first, we imagined the metropolis of tomorrow... every convenience arriving at the press of a button." This introduces the initial vision.
- Sentence 2: "Yet as the models multiplied, we discovered another picture behind the gleam..." This introduces a contrasting picture.
- Sentence 3: "If we are to build wisely, we must let that second image guide the first." This gives a takeaway or recommendation.
Understanding these chunks helps you see how the author is structuring the idea from beginning to end.
Identify the nature of the first description
Look closely at the language in the first sentence: "panorama of glass," "highways curled like ribbons," "towers glittering," "every convenience arriving at the press of a button."
- These words are positive and glamorous.
- They suggest excitement about technology and futuristic design.
So the first part of the structure is an optimistic, idealized vision of future city design.
Identify the contrast introduced by "Yet"
The second sentence begins with "Yet," a clear signal of contrast.
- Now the city is described as "neighborhoods sliced apart," "parks shrunk," "children hemmed in by traffic."
- These are harmful, negative consequences of the earlier vision.
So the second part of the structure sets up a conflicting image: the damage that the initially appealing designs could cause in real communities.
Interpret the final sentence and match the structure to an answer
The last sentence starts, "If we are to build wisely, we must let that second image guide the first."
- "If we are to build wisely" signals advice or a warning, not celebration.
- The speaker is urging planners to let the negative consequences (the "second image") shape or limit the appealing futuristic plans (the "first").
Putting it together, the text moves from an optimistic vision, to harmful consequences of that vision, to a cautionary recommendation based on that contrast. The answer choice that best captures this structure is B) The speaker contrasts an optimistic vision of future city design with the harmful consequences that vision may cause, concluding with a call for caution.