Question 90·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
Historians once portrayed the medieval spice trade as driven mainly by Europeans' insatiable appetite for exotic flavorings, but recent economic analyses by Sarah Hill argue that spices functioned primarily as compact, highly profitable commodities used by merchants to balance long-distance accounts. Hill’s data show that mariners were often indifferent to which aromatic goods they carried so long as the cargo’s value-to-weight ratio met their financial targets. Her conclusion complicates the standard “culinary craving” narrative by emphasizing the logistical considerations that shaped trade routes.
Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions, summarize what the author is doing in one verb phrase (e.g., “revises an old explanation,” “introduces a new interpretation,” “compares two theories”). Then check the first and last sentences for the passage’s setup and takeaway, and eliminate choices that either zoom in on one detail (a single finding) or introduce an action the passage never performs (like explaining why a view became popular or making a two-sided comparison the text doesn’t actually make).
Hints
Track the contrast
Focus on the shift signaled by "once" and "but." What is the old explanation, and what replaces it?
Use the last sentence
The last sentence tells you what Hill’s conclusion does to the standard narrative. Is it reinforcing it, or changing it?
Separate purpose from detail
Some options restate Hill’s finding (a detail). The correct option should describe what the author is doing overall with that finding.
Look for “old view vs. new view”
If a choice captures that the passage is updating/revising an existing explanation, it’s likely closer to the main purpose.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the established view
The first clause presents the traditional explanation: historians "once portrayed" the spice trade as driven mainly by Europeans’ desire for exotic flavorings.
Identify the new evidence and claim
After "but," the passage introduces Hill’s economic analyses and evidence that spices functioned as compact, highly profitable commodities, and that mariners cared about value-to-weight ratio more than the specific goods.
Connect the conclusion to the passage’s purpose
The final sentence says Hill’s conclusion "complicates" the standard narrative by emphasizing logistical considerations, showing the author is reframing the overall explanation (not just adding a detail).
Choose the option that matches that purpose
The choice that best matches "old explanation" + "new evidence" + "revised motivation" is: To revise an established explanation of the medieval spice trade by presenting evidence of an alternative motivation.