SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
Scholars have long credited the printing press with the rapid spread of Protestant ideas in sixteenth-century Germany. Historian Anke Reiter accepts that printed pamphlets mattered, but she points to evidence that many of them were never read silently by individuals. Town records describe pamphlets being read aloud in taverns and marketplaces to crowds who mostly could not read. In Reiter's view, the press succeeded not by replacing speech but by supplying it with material.
Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?
It presents a counterexample that Reiter uses to reject the importance of printed pamphlets.
It provides evidence for Reiter's claim that pamphlets often reached audiences through oral reading.
It describes a common view that Reiter attempts to refute in the final sentence.
It summarizes the scholarly agreement that Reiter goes on to qualify.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The second sentence states Reiter's claim that many pamphlets were not read silently. The third sentence supports it with town records of pamphlets read aloud to crowds. The final sentence draws her conclusion. So the third sentence provides evidence, choice B.
Choice A is tempting, but Reiter "accepts that printed pamphlets mattered"; the records show how pamphlets worked, not that they were unimportant.
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