Question 87·Hard·Central Ideas and Details
I had always regarded the clock tower that rises over Morningside Square as a picturesque remnant, useful mainly for postcards. After months spent recording the village’s oral histories, however, I realized that its hourly chime does far more than mark time. It stitches together the lives of people who otherwise share little: farmers who rise at the pre-dawn bell, shopkeepers who set prices by the mid-morning clang, schoolchildren who race the noon peal, and factory workers whose shifts end only when the twilight hammer strikes. When the mechanism faltered last winter and the tower fell mute, a curious unease spread through town; trains were boarded late, meetings began adrift, and even the café’s talk seemed to lose its cadence. In those silent weeks, Morningside discovered how much of its confidence rested on the steady heartbeat of that iron pendulum.
Which choice best describes what the narrator suggests the clock tower primarily represents for the village of Morningside?
For questions asking what something “primarily represents,” track the narrator’s emphasis across the whole passage (especially any shift from first impression to deeper meaning). Then restate the object’s role in your own words using repeated images (here, “stitches together,” “adrift,” “steady heartbeat”) and choose the option that captures that central function while eliminating choices that rely on minor details or introduce unsupported ideas.
Hints
Locate the key shift in the narrator’s view
Reread the sentences around the word "however." How does the narrator’s understanding of the clock tower change after this point?
Focus on metaphors describing the tower’s effect
Pay attention to phrases like "stitches together" and "steady heartbeat." What do these images suggest about what the tower does for the people in the village?
Use the disruption when the clock stops as a clue
Think about what happens to the town when the tower falls silent—what kinds of problems appear, and what does that reveal about the tower’s role in everyday life?
Eliminate options that focus on outside appearance or outsiders
Ask yourself: does the passage emphasize how the tower looks, its history, or outsiders’ reactions, or does it emphasize its ongoing role in the daily lives and feelings of the villagers?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the narrator’s initial view of the clock tower
Look at the first sentence: the narrator had regarded the clock tower as a "picturesque remnant, useful mainly for postcards." This means they first saw it as something merely pretty and old, good for images, not as something deeply important to the town’s life.
Notice how the narrator’s understanding changes
After recording the village’s oral histories, the narrator realizes the clock "does far more than mark time." The passage then explains how different groups—farmers, shopkeepers, schoolchildren, factory workers—organize their actions around the tower’s chimes. The key phrase is that the chime "stitches together the lives of people who otherwise share little," showing that it connects many different people through a shared rhythm.
Examine the impact when the clock stops working
When the mechanism fails and the tower becomes silent, "a curious unease" spreads: trains are late, meetings start "adrift," and even conversation in the café "seemed to lose its cadence." The narrator concludes that the town’s "confidence rested on the steady heartbeat of that iron pendulum." These metaphors suggest something central and organizing in the community’s life, not just decoration or history.
Match the main idea to the best answer choice
The passage stresses that the tower coordinates schedules across different groups and gives the town a shared rhythm and sense of stability. Therefore, the best answer is A unifying force that gives structure to communal life.