The people of medieval Europe have traditionally been seen as uninterested in cleanliness and hygiene, but modern research has shown...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The people of medieval Europe have traditionally been seen as uninterested in cleanliness and hygiene, but modern research has shown that this is largely a myth. According to historian Eleanor Janega, most medieval towns in Europe had at least one public bathhouse, which often offered both full-immersion baths and—more affordably—steam baths. While such amenities were available mainly to town dwellers, regular bathing in rivers and streams or daily sponge baths at home were common practices throughout medieval Europe.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion?
It asserts that in medieval Europe steam baths were more popular in rural areas than in urban ones.
It describes a limitation of earlier historians' studies of medieval European bathing habits.
It concedes that not all people in medieval Europe had access to public bathhouses.
It explains why Janega decided to study the popularity of public bathhouses in medieval Europe.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The people of medieval Europe have traditionally been seen as uninterested in cleanliness and hygiene, but modern research has shown that this is largely a myth." |
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| "According to historian Eleanor Janega, most medieval towns in Europe had at least one public bathhouse, which often offered both full-immersion baths and—more affordably—steam baths." |
|
| "While such amenities were available mainly to town dwellers," |
|
| "regular bathing in rivers and streams or daily sponge baths at home were common practices throughout medieval Europe." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Contrary to traditional beliefs, medieval Europeans actually did care about cleanliness and practiced various forms of bathing both in towns and rural areas.
Argument Flow: The passage debunks a historical myth by first presenting counter-evidence from an expert about urban bathhouses, then acknowledging the limitation that these were mainly for town people, before expanding to show that rural Europeans also maintained cleanliness through other bathing methods.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function or role of a specific underlined portion within the passage structure
What type of answer do we need? A description of what job this particular sentence performs in the overall argument
Any limiting keywords? "Function" tells us we need to identify the structural role, not just what the sentence says
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The underlined portion comes right after we learn about all these great bathhouse facilities in towns
- Instead of just moving on, the author pauses to acknowledge that these amenities "were available mainly to town dwellers"
- This is important because it recognizes a limitation - not everyone could access these bathhouses
- The function here is to be honest about the scope of the evidence
- The author isn't trying to hide that bathhouses weren't universal; they're acknowledging this limitation before showing that rural people still found ways to stay clean
- The right answer should recognize that this portion admits or concedes that the bathhouse evidence has limited applicability - it doesn't cover all medieval Europeans
It asserts that in medieval Europe steam baths were more popular in rural areas than in urban ones.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims steam baths were more popular in rural than urban areas
- The passage doesn't compare rural vs. urban popularity of steam baths at all
- The underlined portion is about access limitations, not popularity comparisons
It describes a limitation of earlier historians' studies of medieval European bathing habits.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests this describes limitations of historians' studies
- The passage is about limitations of bathhouse access, not research limitations
- Students might confuse "limitations" in the evidence with "limitations" in historical research methodology
It concedes that not all people in medieval Europe had access to public bathhouses.
✓ Correct
- Accurately identifies that the portion concedes not everyone had bathhouse access
- "Mainly to town dwellers" = not all people could use them
- Matches our prethinking about acknowledging scope limitations of the evidence
It explains why Janega decided to study the popularity of public bathhouses in medieval Europe.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims this explains Janega's research motivation
- The passage gives no information about why Janega studied this topic
- The underlined portion is about access patterns, not research decisions