SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a 1920 novel by Celia Brandt.
Linwood was a town that took pride in its order. Its lawns were trimmed every Saturday, its church bells rang precisely on the hour, and its newspaper had never printed a story that might embarrass a respectable family. It was, everyone agreed, a very good place to live, provided one had no wish to be anything other than what Linwood expected.
Which choice best describes the function of the final sentence in the text as a whole?
It offers further evidence that the residents of Linwood are content with their town.
It explains how the town's newspaper decided which stories to print.
It qualifies the praise of the town by suggesting that Linwood's order limits individual freedom.
It shifts the focus from the town to the narrator's own childhood.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The final sentence begins with apparent praise ("a very good place to live") but adds a condition: only if one wants to be exactly what the town expects. That condition hints that Linwood's orderliness pressures people to conform, which qualifies the praise. Choice C describes this.
Choice A reads only the first half of the sentence; the clause beginning "provided" turns the praise into criticism.
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