Question 7·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
When the city proposed turning an empty lot into a community garden, opinions were mixed. Many residents were enthusiastic about growing fresh produce and creating a shared space. But some neighbors worried that the garden would attract pests and create a mess. In response, volunteer organizer Lila Ramos set up compost bins, scheduled maintenance days, and partnered with a local school to monitor the site. Within months, the garden remained tidy, and even the skeptical neighbors began to participate.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
For function-of-the-underlined-sentence questions, paraphrase the underlined sentence (problem, contrast, example, result, etc.), then read the sentence(s) immediately before and after to see how the passage uses it. Choose the option that describes its role in moving the paragraph forward, and eliminate choices that describe things the underlined sentence does not do (like summarizing outcomes, giving technical detail, or stating an official claim).
Hints
Focus on the contrast word
Notice the word "But" at the beginning of the underlined sentence. How does this contrast with the previous sentence about many residents being enthusiastic?
Summarize the underlined sentence
In your own words, what are the neighbors doing or feeling in the underlined sentence? Are they supporting the idea, opposing it, or explaining details about it?
Connect the underlined sentence to what comes next
Read the sentences that come right after the underlined one. Do they describe results, detailed procedures, an official statement, or a reaction to the worries you just read?
Eliminate answers that don’t match the paragraph
Ask yourself: Does the underlined sentence talk about long-term outcomes, technical methods, or an official claim? Cross out any choices that don’t fit what the sentence is actually doing.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question asks about the function of the underlined sentence in the passage as a whole—what role it plays in the paragraph’s development.
Paraphrase the underlined sentence
The underlined sentence says that some neighbors are worried the garden will cause problems (pests and mess). This introduces a potential objection.
Check how the text uses that concern
The following sentences begin "In response" and then list steps (compost bins, maintenance days, monitoring) and results (the garden stayed tidy and skeptics participated). This directly answers the worry that was introduced.
Match to the best answer choice
Because the underlined sentence introduces a concern that the next sentences respond to, the best choice is It introduces a concern that later sentences address.