SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
On La Gomera, one of Spain's Canary Islands, some residents communicate across deep ravines using Silbo Gomero, a whistled form of Spanish. Whistlers do not use a separate vocabulary; instead, they turn the sounds of ordinary spoken Spanish into rising and falling pitches. Because a whistle carries much farther than a shout, a message can travel several kilometers. Recognizing the practice's cultural value, the island's schools have taught it to students since 1999.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?
It describes the steps the island's schools have taken to preserve Silbo Gomero.
It identifies the main reason that Silbo Gomero is useful on La Gomera.
It presents a criticism of the claim that Silbo Gomero is a form of Spanish.
It explains how Silbo Gomero relates to spoken Spanish.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The first sentence calls Silbo Gomero "a whistled form of Spanish." The second sentence explains what that means: whistlers convert the sounds of ordinary Spanish into pitches rather than using different words. So it explains how the whistled language relates to spoken Spanish, choice D.
Choice B describes the third sentence, which gives the practical advantage (a whistle carries farther than a shout).
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The sentence does not mention schools or preservation steps. It explains the linguistic mechanism of the whistled language, not the educational efforts described later in the text.
- B. This choice confuses the second sentence with the third. The second sentence explains the relationship to spoken Spanish, while the third sentence provides the practical reason for its usefulness.
- C. The sentence supports the idea that Silbo Gomero is a form of Spanish by explaining how it uses ordinary Spanish sounds. It does not present any criticism or disagreement.
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