Question 66·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from an 1880 letter written by naturalist John Sinclair to a colleague after spending several weeks surveying a remote mountain valley.
The valley at dawn presents a spectacle of such unlikely quiet that a careless observer might call it empty. Yet the moment one is still long enough, the hillside begins to move: the quick rustle of a wren, the sideways glide of mist among the cedars, the distant clatter of the river adjusting its stones. In this gradual unveiling, life announces itself not with a shout but with a prolonged whisper. By the time the sun pulls itself over the eastern ridge, the whole place seems less discovered than awakened, as though morning were its own internal decision.
Which choice best describes the effect of the underlined sentence in the text?
For sentence-function questions, (1) read the sentence before and after the target line, (2) paraphrase what the target line is saying in plain language, and (3) name its role (example, summary, contrast, transition, emphasis). Then eliminate choices that mismatch tone or logic (e.g., calling a “whisper” noisy) and choose the option that best matches how the sentence connects to the surrounding details.
Hints
Look right before the underlined sentence
What specific details does the author list immediately before the underlined sentence (sounds/movements), and what do they have in common?
Paraphrase the metaphor
In your own words, what does it mean for life to “announce itself not with a shout but with a prolonged whisper”?
Decide the sentence’s job
Is the underlined sentence mainly summarizing earlier details, contrasting with them, introducing a new idea, or setting up what comes next?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate what the sentence is responding to
The lines immediately before the underlined sentence describe quiet, small signs of activity that become noticeable only after you pay attention (a wren’s rustle, mist gliding, a distant river sound).
Paraphrase the underlined sentence
The sentence says that life in the valley reveals itself slowly and softly—more like a “whisper” over time than a sudden “shout.”
Identify the sentence’s role in the paragraph
Because it generalizes from the specific examples just given, it functions as a summary/interpretation of those details rather than introducing a new topic or contradicting the description of quiet.
Match the role to the choices
- Choice A is wrong because “whisper” reinforces quiet rather than depicting noisiness.
- Choice C is tempting because the next sentence mentions “awakened,” but the underlined sentence primarily sums up the subtle unveiling already described.
- Choice D is wrong because the idea is not new; it comments on the examples immediately preceding it.
Therefore, the best description is: It provides a concise metaphor that encapsulates the preceding description.