Question 121·Medium·Central Ideas and Details
In 1715, an earthquake damaged the Temple of the Jaguar in southern Mexico. Workers hurriedly coated a long corridor with a thick layer of rough plaster to keep loose stones in place. Three centuries later, conservation scientist María Pérez and her team removed that plaster and uncovered a brilliantly colored Mayan mural underneath. According to Pérez, the mural’s reds and blues look almost freshly painted because the improvised plaster barrier had blocked sunlight, moisture, and insects that would normally dull the pigments.
What does the text indicate about why the mural’s colors remain vivid today?
For SAT Reading detail questions that ask "What does the text indicate about why/what/how...," immediately go back to the specific sentence or two that mention that topic, underline the cause or explanation given, restate it in your own words, and then choose the answer that closely matches that explanation without adding new ideas or contradicting the passage. Use elimination aggressively: cross out any choice that introduces facts not stated, reverses a cause-and-effect relationship, or focuses on something the passage mentions but does not link to the question being asked.
Hints
Locate the key information
Reread the sentence that starts with "According to Pérez" near the end of the passage. That sentence explains why the colors look almost freshly painted.
Identify cause and effect
Ask yourself: What did the plaster barrier do, and what kinds of things did it stop from reaching the mural?
Watch out for new or opposite information
Eliminate any choices that talk about special paint ingredients, repainting, or conditions inside the temple that are not described—or are contradicted—by the passage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the sentence that explains the colors
Look back at the part of the passage that talks about why the colors "look almost freshly painted." This is usually where the author explains the cause or reason you’re being asked about.
Read the explanation carefully
The key sentence is: "According to Pérez, the mural’s reds and blues look almost freshly painted because the improvised plaster barrier had blocked sunlight, moisture, and insects that would normally dull the pigments." Focus on what the plaster did and what it blocked.
Summarize the key idea in your own words
Put that sentence into simpler language: the thick plaster layer acted like a protective cover. By blocking sunlight, moisture, and insects—things that would usually damage or dull the paint—it helped keep the colors bright.
Match the summary to the answer choices
Now compare that idea to the choices:
- The passage never says anything about special minerals in the paint.
- It doesn’t mention anyone repainting the mural.
- It says moisture was blocked, not that humidity inside the temple helped.
- One choice correctly captures that the plaster layer accidentally protected the mural from environmental damage.
The best answer is: D) The mural was accidentally shielded from environmental damage by a layer of plaster.