Jazz music experienced significant changes during the 1920s as it spread from New Orleans to northern cities. Many musicians relocated...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Jazz music experienced significant changes during the 1920s as it spread from New Orleans to northern cities. Many musicians relocated to Chicago, where they adapted their traditional styles to urban audiences. The migration accelerated when recording companies began establishing studios in Chicago to capture this evolving sound. These recordings then introduced jazz to national audiences through radio broadcasts. This technological distribution transformed jazz from a regional folk tradition into America's first truly popular music form.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To compare jazz music recorded in Chicago during the 1920s with traditional New Orleans jazz styles
To argue that Chicago recording studios were more influential than those in New Orleans during the 1920s
To trace how jazz evolved from a regional tradition to a national phenomenon during the 1920s
To explain why jazz musicians preferred working in Chicago rather than New Orleans during the 1920s
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Jazz music experienced significant changes during the 1920s as it spread from New Orleans to northern cities." |
|
| "Many musicians relocated to Chicago, where they adapted their traditional styles to urban audiences." |
|
| "The migration accelerated when recording companies began establishing studios in Chicago to capture this evolving sound." |
|
| "These recordings then introduced jazz to national audiences through radio broadcasts." |
|
| "This technological distribution transformed jazz from a regional folk tradition into America's first truly popular music form." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Jazz evolved from a regional New Orleans folk tradition into America's first truly popular music form during the 1920s through geographic migration, recording technology, and radio distribution.
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 indicates we need the overarching objective, not a specific detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should describe the passage as tracing or explaining how jazz evolved from a regional tradition into a national phenomenon
- The passage follows a chronological progression showing this transformation process
To compare jazz music recorded in Chicago during the 1920s with traditional New Orleans jazz styles
- This suggests the passage compares New Orleans and Chicago jazz styles, but the passage focuses on the spread and transformation process, not style comparison
To argue that Chicago recording studios were more influential than those in New Orleans during the 1920s
- This suggests the passage argues Chicago studios were more influential than New Orleans ones, but the passage doesn't make this comparison
To trace how jazz evolved from a regional tradition to a national phenomenon during the 1920s
- This matches our prethinking about tracing evolution from regional to national. Captures the passage structure that starts with regional New Orleans jazz and ends with national popular music
To explain why jazz musicians preferred working in Chicago rather than New Orleans during the 1920s
- This suggests explaining musicians' preferences for Chicago, but the passage mentions the move without focusing on why musicians preferred Chicago