Question 44·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women. The March sisters have just finished supper and are tidying the kitchen.
Meg glanced at the clock, wiped the last dish, and set it gently on the shelf. “There,” she sighed with satisfaction, “Mother will have nothing to scold about tonight.” Jo twirled the apron string around her finger, clearly restless. “I wish the dishes would wash themselves,” she muttered, “then we might have time for a meeting of the Pickwick Club.” Amy, who had been admiring her reflection in the window, replied, “If we finished sooner, we should still look presentable when Mr. Laurence calls.” At this, Beth quietly placed another towel in Meg’s hand and whispered, “Let us hurry, then.” Meg smiled at this alliance of impatience and vanity, and, after distributing tasks with brisk authority, had the kitchen in order within minutes.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For text-structure questions, quickly summarize the beginning, middle, and end in your own words (e.g., "What happens first? Then? Last?"). Then test each answer as a whole: every part of the choice must match the passage’s events and order. Watch for answers that add elements not in the text (like flashbacks, predictions, outsiders, or big philosophical discussions); if any piece of a choice doesn’t clearly appear in the passage, eliminate that choice and select the one that accurately tracks the scene from start to finish.
Hints
Check the beginning of the passage
Focus on the first sentence. What is Meg doing, and what does that tell you about how the passage opens?
Look at the middle dialogue
In the lines where Jo, Amy, and Beth speak, what are they talking about, and what different motivations or reasons do they give?
Notice the ending action
In the final sentence, what does Meg do, and how does that respond to what the others have just said?
Match the passage to the choices
For each choice, ask: Does the passage actually show these events or this kind of structure (like a flashback, a visitor resolving conflict, or a long analysis)? Eliminate any description that adds things that never happen.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what happens at the beginning
Look at the first sentence: "Meg glanced at the clock, wiped the last dish, and set it gently on the shelf." This shows Meg completing a specific household task (doing the dishes), not a whole list of chores, a conflict, or a deep reflection on appearance.
Summarize the middle of the passage
Next, the sisters talk. Jo complains that she wants the dishes to "wash themselves" so they can have a club meeting. Amy wants to finish sooner so they still look "presentable" for Mr. Laurence. Beth quietly urges them to hurry. This middle section is mostly a short discussion where different characters give reasons for wanting to finish quickly—time for a meeting, appearance for a visitor, and general eagerness to be done.
See how the passage ends
In the last sentence, Meg "smiled," "after distributing tasks with brisk authority," and soon "had the kitchen in order within minutes." This is clear, decisive action that responds to the earlier comments: she organizes everyone so they can finish the work fast and meet those wishes.
Compare this structure to each answer choice
The passage: (1) starts with one character finishing a household task, (2) moves into a brief discussion where several sisters explain why they want to be done quickly, and (3) ends with Meg directing everyone so the work is finished promptly. Only choice A correctly matches this sequence of actions and purposes, so A is the best answer.