The following text is from Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne, an eleven-year-old girl, has come...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne, an eleven-year-old girl, has come to live on a farm with a woman named Marilla in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Anne reveled in the world of color about her.
'Oh, Marilla,' she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, 'I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill—several thrills? I'm going to decorate my room with them.'
'Messy things,' said Marilla, whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed. 'You clutter up your room entirely too much with out-of-doors stuff, Anne. Bedrooms were made to sleep in.'
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To demonstrate that Anne has a newly developed appreciation of nature
To describe an argument that Anne and Marilla often have
To emphasize Marilla's disapproval of how Anne has decorated her room
To show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Anne reveled in the world of color about her. |
|
| 'Oh, Marilla,' she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, 'I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. |
|
| It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill—several thrills? I'm going to decorate my room with them.' |
|
| 'Messy things,' said Marilla, whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed. |
|
| 'You clutter up your room entirely too much with out-of-doors stuff, Anne. Bedrooms were made to sleep in.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage demonstrates the contrasting personalities of Anne, who finds joy and beauty in nature, and Marilla, who approaches life practically without aesthetic appreciation.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes Anne's love of color and natural beauty, then shows her enthusiastic behavior as she brings autumn branches inside while expressing joy about October. Marilla's response reveals her opposite perspective - she sees the branches as messy and views rooms purely functionally, establishing a clear contrast between their personalities.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? The primary function or goal the author had in writing this passage
Any limiting keywords? Main purpose means we need the overarching reason, not a minor detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct answer must capture that this passage's main job is to demonstrate how Anne and Marilla have fundamentally different personalities - one aesthetic and emotional, the other practical and functional.
To demonstrate that Anne has a newly developed appreciation of nature
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses only on Anne having a newly developed appreciation, but the passage shows she already reveled in the world of color
- Ignores Marilla entirely
To describe an argument that Anne and Marilla often have
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests they often have this argument, implying repetition
- The passage presents one specific interaction, not a recurring pattern
To emphasize Marilla's disapproval of how Anne has decorated her room
✗ Incorrect
- This makes Marilla's disapproval the main focus, but Marilla's response is just part of showing the contrast between them
To show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities
✓ Correct
- Captures both characters' roles in the passage
- Anne's aesthetic appreciation vs. Marilla's practical approach shows they have very different personalities