Historians have argued that a crucial component of the Civil Rights Movement's success in the 1960s was the Southern Christian...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Historians have argued that a crucial component of the Civil Rights Movement's success in the 1960s was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Citizen Education Program (CEP), which invited promising activists from across the South to its one-week training sessions in Dorchester, Georgia. Led by experienced organizers such as Dorothy Cotton and Septima Clark, CEP attendees—more than 7,000 in all—participated in workshops on topics ranging from public speaking to legal doctrine before returning home and using their newly acquired knowledge to spearhead local civil rights initiatives.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It underscores the extent of the CEP's impact on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
It illustrates the CEP organizers' efforts to educate participants on a wide variety of topics.
It suggests that CEP attendees held a diverse array of opinions about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's political philosophy.
It establishes that criticism of the CEP was limited to a few individuals in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Historians have argued that a crucial component of the Civil Rights Movement's success in the 1960s was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Citizen Education Program (CEP)" |
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| "which invited promising activists from across the South to its one-week training sessions in Dorchester, Georgia." |
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| "Led by experienced organizers such as Dorothy Cotton and Septima Clark," |
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| "CEP attendees—more than 7,000 in all—participated in workshops on topics ranging from public speaking to legal doctrine" |
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| "before returning home and using their newly acquired knowledge to spearhead local civil rights initiatives." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Historians argue that the CEP was crucial to Civil Rights Movement success because it trained over 7,000 activists who then led local initiatives.
Argument Flow: The passage presents historians' claim about CEP's importance, then systematically supports this by detailing the program's structure, leadership, impressive scale (7,000+ participants), comprehensive training content, and concrete results in local communities.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined portion ("more than 7,000 in all") within the text as a whole.
What type of answer do we need? The rhetorical purpose or role this specific detail plays in supporting the passage's argument.
Any limiting keywords? Content Genre: Humanities & Social Sciences, Content Format: Text-only, Question Type: Purpose (specific part), Language Complexity: Accessible
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The number "more than 7,000" serves a specific rhetorical purpose in this passage
- The main argument is about CEP's crucial role in Civil Rights success
- This large number shows the massive scale of the program, demonstrates its widespread reach across the South, and provides concrete evidence for why historians consider it so important to the movement's success
- The right answer should explain how this number supports the passage's main argument about CEP's importance
It underscores the extent of the CEP's impact on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
✓ Correct
- This perfectly captures the rhetorical function of "more than 7,000 in all"
- The large number demonstrates the program's massive reach and scale
- This scale directly supports the historians' argument that CEP was "crucial" to Civil Rights success
- Numbers this large suggest significant impact, which aligns with the passage's main claim
It illustrates the CEP organizers' efforts to educate participants on a wide variety of topics.
✗ Incorrect
- This choice focuses on the variety of workshop topics ("public speaking to legal doctrine")
- The number 7,000 tells us about quantity of people, not variety of subjects
- While the passage does mention topic variety, that's a separate detail from the attendance figure
It suggests that CEP attendees held a diverse array of opinions about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's political philosophy.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the number reveals diversity of opinions about SCLC philosophy
- Nothing in the passage indicates that CEP attendees had varying opinions
- The passage presents CEP participants as unified in using their training for civil rights work
It establishes that criticism of the CEP was limited to a few individuals in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
✗ Incorrect
- This claims the number shows limited criticism of CEP
- The passage mentions no criticism whatsoever of the program
- 7,000+ attendees would actually suggest broad support, not limited criticism
- This choice introduces an idea (criticism) that doesn't exist in the passage