SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
Critics have long praised the novels of Ingrid Solvang (1879-1944) for their vivid portraits of Norwegian fishing villages. Literary scholar Anders Holm suggests that this praise, though deserved, has narrowed how her work is read. Solvang spent most of her adult life in Oslo and Paris, and her letters show that she read widely in French and Russian fiction. Holm argues that her village novels are best understood not as records of a world she knew firsthand but as experiments in the European novel of her day, using a remote setting to explore questions of form.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
It explains why critics have long praised Solvang's vivid portraits of Norwegian fishing villages.
It provides biographical details that support Holm's new reading of Solvang's novels.
It suggests that Solvang's novels describe village life inaccurately.
It presents other scholars' criticism of Holm's argument.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
Holm argues that Solvang's village novels are experiments in the European novel rather than firsthand records. The underlined sentence supports this with her life in big European cities and her wide reading in French and Russian fiction. That is choice B.
Choice C goes too far. The sentence shows Solvang didn't live in the villages, but nothing suggests her descriptions are wrong.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The sentence is about Solvang's life and reading, not the reasons critics admired her portraits.
- C. The sentence shows she didn't live in the villages, but nothing suggests her descriptions are inaccurate.
- D. The sentence supports Holm's argument, and no other scholars are mentioned.
Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free, or take a free full-length practice test.