Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas, archaeologist Ayana O. Flewellen foun...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
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Craft and Structure
Text Structure and Purpose
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Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas, archaeologist Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to fasten their clothes at the waist, giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was popular in contemporary fashion and typically achieved through more restrictive garments such as corsets. Flewellen argues that this sartorial practice shows that these women balanced hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of their physically demanding occupation.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A
To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher's view of how rapidly fashions among Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas changed during the period
B
To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas used fashion practices to resist traditional gender ideals
C
To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban fashion ideals on Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas
D
To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion practice among Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas
Solution
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas,' |
|
| 'archaeologist Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to fasten their clothes at the waist,' |
|
| 'giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was popular in contemporary fashion and typically achieved through more restrictive garments such as corsets.' |
|
| 'Flewellen argues that this sartorial practice shows that these women balanced hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of their physically demanding occupation.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: This text summarizes Flewellen's archaeological research that revealed how Black farmworkers used a specific clothing technique to balance fashion ideals with work demands.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement about what the text is trying to accomplish overall
Any limiting keywords? 'main purpose' - we need the primary function, not a secondary detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The text is fundamentally about presenting research findings
- It's about archaeological research findings
- The findings concern a specific fashion practice
- The researcher offers an explanation for why this practice occurred (balancing competing demands)
- The right answer should describe this as presenting or summarizing research that explored the reasoning behind a fashion practice
Answer Choices Explained
A
To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher's view of how rapidly fashions among Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas changed during the period
- Claims this is about an 'unexpected discovery' that changed the researcher's view
- Also mentions 'rapidly changing fashions,' but the passage doesn't discuss fashion changing over time
B
To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas used fashion practices to resist traditional gender ideals
- Says the women used fashion to 'resist traditional gender ideals'
- But Flewellen's argument is the opposite - they were working with feminine ideals, not against them
C
To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban fashion ideals on Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas
- Claims this text 'evaluates a scholarly work'
- But we're not evaluating anyone's work - we're learning about Flewellen's research findings
- Also mentions 'urban fashion ideals' when the research was about rural farm workers
D
To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion practice among Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas
- Accurately describes this as summarizing research findings
- Correctly identifies that the study 'explored factors influencing a fashion practice'
- Matches our prethinking - the text presents Flewellen's research and her explanation for why the women adopted this practice
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