Question 146·Medium·Inferences
In the 1910s, department-store window displays in several major cities often showcased lavish evening gowns. Some cultural historians, noting the prominence of such garments in surviving photographs of window displays, argue that these images reflect what urban women most commonly purchased. However, a recent review of store ledgers from the same years found that inexpensive day dresses outsold evening gowns by more than twenty to one and that window displays were rotated most frequently for holidays and special events, thereby casting doubt on the idea that ____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT "fill in the blank" argument questions, first identify the main claim or idea that someone is putting forward (often after phrases like "argue that" or "claim that"). Then find the contrast or support word (like "However," "Therefore," or "Thus") and see how the new information affects that claim—is it supporting it, contradicting it, or qualifying it? When the question says something like "casting doubt on the idea that," you usually need to restate the earlier claim being challenged, not introduce a new topic. Eliminate answer choices that add new concepts, use extreme language not backed by the passage, or contradict how the evidence is actually used.
Hints
Locate the claim that will be questioned
Look for the part of the passage where some people "argue that" something is true. That is the idea that may later be called into question.
Use the contrast word "However"
Notice the word "However"—it introduces information that goes against the earlier claim. Ask yourself: what does this new information suggest is not true?
Focus on the phrase after the comma
The phrase "thereby casting doubt on the idea that ____" must refer back to an idea already given, not bring in a new topic. Which earlier idea does the new evidence directly weaken?
Eliminate choices that add new or extreme claims
Cross out any option that brings in new concepts (like profits or data quality) or uses extreme language (like "never") that the passage does not support.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the historians’ main claim
Locate the sentence with "argue that" because it tells you what the historians believe. The text says historians "argue that these images reflect what urban women most commonly purchased." That is their main idea or claim.
Understand what the new evidence shows
Now look at the part starting with "However," which signals a contrast. The review of store ledgers shows that inexpensive day dresses outsold evening gowns by more than 20 to 1, and that window displays changed most often for holidays and special events. This suggests that what appears in the window is not the same as what people usually buy.
Interpret “casting doubt on the idea that ___”
The phrase "thereby casting doubt on the idea that ____" means: this new evidence makes us question some earlier idea. Usually, the idea being doubted is the main claim just mentioned before. Here, that earlier idea is the historians’ claim about what the photographs supposedly show about women’s usual purchases.
Match the choice to the idea being doubted
You now need the answer choice that restates the historians’ claim: that the photos of window displays accurately show what most women usually bought. Choice D says exactly that, so D is the correct answer.