Question 89·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
When marine biologist Sylvia Earle recalls her first deep-sea dive as a graduate student in 1964, she emphasizes the shock of cold water, the eerie hush, and, most of all, the vibrant “crimson forests” of sea fans that greeted her 200 feet below the surface. Though the equipment was heavy and the currents unpredictable, Earle writes that she resurfaced “shivering but newly resolved,” recognizing that she would devote her career to protecting the underwater world she had just glimpsed. She later cites that single descent as the moment she shifted from curious student to lifelong ocean advocate.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions on the SAT, first give yourself a one-sentence summary of what the passage is mostly doing (for example, telling a personal story, arguing a point, or explaining a process). Then, check the beginning and especially the final sentence for clues about the author’s main point. Eliminate any answer choice that introduces ideas not clearly supported by the text (like extra characters, time periods, or goals), or that focuses on a minor detail instead of the central message. Finally, choose the option that best captures the overall effect or goal of the passage, not just a single line.
Hints
Hint 1: Look at the overall structure
Ask yourself: Is the passage mainly telling a story, making an argument, or explaining a historical trend? Notice how it starts with a specific memory and ends with a statement about how that memory affected Earle.
Hint 2: Pay attention to the last sentence
The final sentence often reveals the author’s main point. What does the passage say Earle later thinks about that first dive, and how does it describe the change in her?
Hint 3: Watch for answer choices that add new ideas
Cross out any answer choice that mentions something the passage never talks about, like detailed technology comparisons, team structures, or complex scientific techniques.
Hint 4: Focus on Earle herself
Think about what changes for Earle between the beginning and the end of the passage. How does that change relate to the purpose of the text?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the question type
The question asks for the main purpose of the entire text. For this kind of question, you should:
- Think about why the author is telling this story, not just what details are included.
- Focus especially on the beginning (how the story is set up) and the end (what point it leads to).
Summarize the passage in your own words
Put the passage into a short summary:
- Earle recalls her first deep-sea dive as a graduate student in 1964.
- The description includes sensory details: cold water, eerie hush, bright red sea fans.
- Despite heavy equipment and unpredictable currents, she comes back to the surface "shivering but newly resolved."
- She later identifies this single dive as the moment she changed from a curious student into someone with a lasting mission related to the ocean.
This shows the passage is centered on a personal turning point, not on general history or technology.
Eliminate choices that don’t match the passage’s focus
Now compare that summary to the answer choices:
- Choice A talks about undersea disorientation and improvisational skills in field science. The passage never mentions Earle being confused or having to improvise; it focuses on her feelings and later commitment.
- Choice B says the purpose is to argue that modern diving technology is superior to older methods. The passage mentions heavy equipment but does not compare it to anything else or make an argument about which technology is better.
- Choice C says the purpose is to give historical context about the evolution of marine-biology research teams. The passage only mentions the year 1964 once and never discusses research teams or changes over time.
All three of these add ideas that aren’t in the text, so they cannot be the main purpose.
Match the remaining choice to the passage’s central idea
The remaining option describes a purpose that fits the passage’s key idea: Earle’s first deep-sea dive leads her to decide what she will do with her life. The text explicitly says she resurfaced "newly resolved" and recognized that she would devote her career to protecting the underwater world, and that she later viewed this dive as the moment she became a lifelong advocate for the ocean.
Therefore, the correct answer is D) To convey how Earle’s early experience beneath the sea solidified her resolve to make ocean conservation her life’s work.