Question 74·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
In her recent analysis of urban social services, historian Mara Lowell observes that during the early twentieth century public libraries often functioned as informal job-placement centers for newly arrived immigrants. At certain branches, librarians compiled bilingual directories of local employers and even hosted evening workshops on résumé writing. Lowell contends that these initiatives reveal the librarians’ determination to adapt their institutions to the evolving needs of their communities despite chronically limited budgets.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
For SAT questions about the function of a sentence, first locate the target sentence and then read one or two sentences before and after it to see the flow of ideas. Ask what type of move the author is making at that point: giving an example, stating a claim, explaining a term, offering a counterargument, or drawing a conclusion. Then, match that role to the answer choices by eliminating any options that describe relationships you do not see (such as contradiction, definition, or rejection). Focus on the logical connection—does the sentence provide evidence, explanation, or opposition?—and choose the option that best captures that role in the passage’s structure.
Hints
Look at what changes from one sentence to the next
Compare the underlined sentence to the sentence that comes right after it. Is the second sentence giving new facts, or is it making a point about facts already given?
Identify whether the underlined sentence is concrete or abstract
Ask yourself: Is the underlined sentence listing specific actions or defining a concept or opinion? Then, how does the next sentence relate to those actions?
Check for contradiction or rejection
Read carefully: Does the author ever say that the information in the underlined sentence is wrong, misguided, or rejected later? Or is it used in a positive way to build an argument?
Eliminate answer choices by type
Decide whether the underlined sentence is (1) opposing the next idea, (2) explaining a term, (3) offering a view that gets rejected, or (4) doing something else. Cross off any choices that clearly don’t match what you see in the passage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is doing
First, separate the roles of the two non-underlined sentences:
- Sentence before the underlined part: introduces the topic: libraries functioned as informal job-placement centers for immigrants.
- Underlined sentence: gives details about what actually happened at those libraries (bilingual directories, workshops on résumé writing).
- Sentence after the underlined part: states Lowell’s interpretation/claim: these initiatives show librarians’ determination to adapt their institutions to community needs despite low budgets.
So you have a concrete example sandwiched between a general description and an interpretive claim.
Describe the relationship between the underlined sentence and the following sentence
Ask: How does the detailed, underlined sentence connect to the claim that comes after it?
- The underlined sentence lists specific actions (“compiled bilingual directories,” “hosted evening workshops”).
- The following sentence says these initiatives “reveal the librarians’ determination to adapt their institutions.”
That means the later claim is based on the actions described in the underlined sentence. The author is using those actions as supporting examples for the idea that librarians were determined and adaptive.
Match that relationship to the answer choices
Now compare that relationship to each option:
- It does not go against (contradict) the following claim; instead, it fits with it.
- It is not defining a technical term from before; it’s narrating what librarians did.
- It is not an alternative viewpoint that is rejected.
The only answer that matches the way the underlined sentence provides concrete examples that back up the later claim is: It cites specific evidence that lends support to a claim presented in the following sentence.