Text 1On April 26th, 1777, Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles by horse through Putnam County, New York, to gather up...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
On April 26th, 1777, Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles by horse through Putnam County, New York, to gather up local militia. British forces were burning nearby Danbury, Connecticut, and Ludington wanted to rally rebel troops to meet them. Although she was only 16 years old at the time, her brave feat made Ludington one of the heroes of the American Revolution. Since then, Ludington has been widely celebrated, inspiring postage stamps, statues, and even children's TV series.
Text 2
Historian Paula D. Hunt researched the life and legacy of Sybil Ludington but found no evidence for her famous ride. Although many articles and books have been written about Ludington, Hunt believes writers may have been inventing details about Ludington as they retold her story. Ludington is revered by Americans today, but there simply isn't a strong historical record of her heroic ride.
Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
Sybil Ludington was crucial to the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
Historians have confirmed which route Sybil Ludington took.
Sybil Ludington was likely not a real person.
Many people have come to admire the story of Sybil Ludington's ride.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| On April 26th, 1777, Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles by horse through Putnam County, New York, to gather up local militia. |
|
| British forces were burning nearby Danbury, Connecticut, and Ludington wanted to rally rebel troops to meet them. |
|
| Although she was only 16 years old at the time, her brave feat made Ludington one of the heroes of the American Revolution. |
|
| Since then, Ludington has been widely celebrated, inspiring postage stamps, statues, and even children's TV series. |
|
| Historian Paula D. Hunt researched the life and legacy of Sybil Ludington but found no evidence for her famous ride. |
|
| Although many articles and books have been written about Ludington, Hunt believes writers may have been inventing details about Ludington as they retold her story. |
|
| Ludington is revered by Americans today, but there simply isn't a strong historical record of her heroic ride. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage presents contrasting perspectives on Sybil Ludington—one celebrating her as a Revolutionary War hero, the other questioning the historical evidence for her famous ride.
Argument Flow: The text first presents the traditional heroic narrative of Ludington's ride and its cultural impact. It then challenges this narrative by presenting a historian's findings that there's no evidence for the ride, suggesting the story may have been embellished over time, while acknowledging that she remains culturally significant regardless.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? We need to find a statement that both perspectives would most likely agree with.
What type of answer do we need? A point of common ground between the two contrasting viewpoints.
Any limiting keywords? "both would most likely agree" - this means we need something that doesn't contradict either perspective.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The texts disagree about whether the ride actually happened, but they both acknowledge that Ludington has cultural significance
- The first perspective mentions she's been "widely celebrated" with stamps, statues, and TV shows
- The second perspective says she's "revered by Americans today"
- Both perspectives agree that people admire or celebrate the story, regardless of its historical accuracy
- The right answer should focus on the cultural admiration or celebration that both perspectives acknowledge, rather than the historical facts they disagree about
- The right answer should acknowledge that many people admire or are drawn to Ludington's story
Sybil Ludington was crucial to the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
- Claims Ludington was crucial to the Revolutionary War outcome
- The first perspective calls her "one of the heroes" but doesn't claim she was crucial to the war's outcome
- The second perspective doubts the ride even happened, so wouldn't agree she was crucial
Historians have confirmed which route Sybil Ludington took.
- Claims historians have confirmed her route
- The second perspective explicitly states Hunt "found no evidence for her famous ride"
- This directly contradicts the historian's findings
Sybil Ludington was likely not a real person.
- Suggests Ludington wasn't a real person
- Neither perspective questions her existence as a person
- Both acknowledge she's a real historical figure, they just disagree about what she did
Many people have come to admire the story of Sybil Ludington's ride.
- States that many people have come to admire the story of her ride
- The first perspective supports this with evidence of celebration: "widely celebrated, inspiring postage stamps, statues, and even children's TV series"
- The second perspective supports this by stating "Ludington is revered by Americans today"
- Both perspectives acknowledge the cultural admiration, even though they disagree about historical accuracy