SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a 1915 novel by Phoebe Langtry. Rosa has just arrived at a boarding school.
Rosa's first night at Hollins School was the longest of her life. The bed was hard, the girl in the next cot snored, and the wind rattled the window in its frame until dawn. Yet by the end of the week she had learned the snorer's name, discovered that the window could be wedged shut with a folded letter, and fallen asleep each night before the lamps were out.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
It describes Rosa's arrival at the school and then explains why her parents chose to send her there.
It lists Rosa's complaints about the school and then describes her plan to leave.
It presents Rosa's difficult first night and then shows how she adjusts to her new surroundings.
It compares Rosa's school with her home and then states which she prefers.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The first half lists the problems of Rosa's first night: the hard bed, the snoring, the rattling window. After "Yet," the text shows her solving or getting used to each one within a week. That is a hard start followed by adjustment, choice C.
Choice B starts out right, but Rosa never plans to leave; by the end of the week she falls asleep easily.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The text never explains why Rosa attends the school. The second half shows her settling in.
- B. Rosa doesn't plan to leave. By the end of the week she falls asleep before the lamps are out.
- D. Rosa's home is never described, so there is no comparison.
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