SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a 1916 novel by Winifred Lowe.
For years the townspeople had called the Pruitt sisters proud. They did not attend the church suppers, they did not join the sewing circle, and they answered every invitation with a brief, polite refusal. Only after the elder sister died, and the doctor let slip what he knew, did the town learn the truth: the younger Miss Pruitt had been nursing her sister through a long illness, and the two of them had kept it secret rather than accept anyone's pity.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
It describes a quarrel between two sisters and then explains how they settled it.
It explains why a doctor decided to break a promise to his patient.
It contrasts the personalities of two sisters who live together.
It presents the town's explanation for two women's behavior and then reveals the actual reason for that behavior.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The first sentences give the town's view that the sisters were "proud," supported by their refusals. The last sentence reveals the real reason: one sister was secretly nursing the other. Choice D follows this order.
Choice B focuses on a minor detail; the doctor's slip is how the town learns the truth, and the text never mentions a promise.
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