Question 30·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
Political scientist Mara DeLuca contends that voter engagement rises when civic policies invoke a sense of collective storytelling rather than individual obligation. In her multi-city study of participatory-budgeting forums, she documents that meetings framed as community "story circles" attract more varied demographics than do conventional hearings. Opponents often argue that such narrative strategies sentimentalize complex fiscal decisions, but DeLuca counters that the storytelling merely makes the data legible to non-experts without diluting its rigor. For DeLuca, then, narrative is not a distraction but a conduit for substantive debate.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
For sentence-function questions, briefly paraphrase what the targeted sentence is doing in the argument (e.g., providing evidence, giving an example, defining a term, conceding a point, presenting and rebutting a counterargument, or drawing a conclusion). Use signal words like “but,” “however,” and “opponents argue” to identify relationships. Then choose the option that matches that function—not just the topic.
Hints
Use the signal phrases
Focus on the phrases “Opponents often argue” and “but DeLuca counters.” What relationship between ideas do those phrases signal?
Name the move
When a writer brings up what critics say and then responds, what is that sentence doing in the overall argument?
Match function, not keywords
Don’t pick an answer just because it mentions “storytelling” or “opponents.” Choose the option that best describes the job the underlined sentence performs (for example: concede, rebut, define, transition, etc.).
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the passage’s main point
Mara DeLuca argues that voter engagement increases when civic participation is framed through collective storytelling rather than mere individual obligation. She cites her study of participatory-budgeting forums to suggest that “story circles” draw more varied demographics, and she concludes that narrative can function as a conduit for substantive debate.
Analyze what the underlined sentence is doing
The underlined portion has a clear argumentative structure:
- It presents a critique: “Opponents often argue …”
- Then it immediately responds: “but DeLuca counters …” This is the classic move of acknowledging a counterargument and rebutting it.
Connect that move to the passage’s purpose
By introducing the criticism (that storytelling “sentimentalize[s]” complex fiscal decisions) and then reporting DeLuca’s reply (that storytelling makes data legible without reducing rigor), the text reinforces the broader claim that narrative helps, rather than harms, serious public deliberation.
Select the choice that matches this function
Only one option describes both parts of the underlined sentence—raising a likely objection and immediately answering it to strengthen the central claim:
It anticipates a potential objection to DeLuca’s position and immediately addresses it, thereby bolstering her central claim.