The rapid industrialization of the early 1900s threatened to erase Native American musical traditions as younger generations moved to urban...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The rapid industrialization of the early 1900s threatened to erase Native American musical traditions as younger generations moved to urban centers. Recognizing this cultural crisis, ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore launched an urgent documentation project, working with tribal elders to record hundreds of songs and ceremonial chants. Her systematic preservation efforts, using innovative wax cylinder technology, ultimately saved countless musical traditions that might otherwise have been lost forever.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To explain how industrialization affected Native American communities
To describe how cultural preservation efforts prevented the loss of musical traditions
To compare traditional and modern approaches to music documentation
To advocate for the use of technology in ethnomusicological research
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The rapid industrialization of the early 1900s threatened to erase Native American musical traditions as younger generations moved to urban centers.' |
|
| 'Recognizing this cultural crisis, ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore launched an urgent documentation project, working with tribal elders to record hundreds of songs and ceremonial chants.' |
|
| 'Her systematic preservation efforts, using innovative wax cylinder technology, ultimately saved countless musical traditions that might otherwise have been lost forever.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Frances Densmore's systematic documentation project successfully preserved Native American musical traditions that were threatened by early 20th-century industrialization.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a clear problem-solution-result structure. It first establishes the threat industrialization posed to Native American musical traditions, then describes how ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore responded with a recording project, and finally shows how her efforts successfully preserved these cultural elements that would otherwise have been lost.
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 that captures what the whole passage is trying to accomplish
Any limiting keywords? 'Main purpose' tells us we need the central goal, not just a detail or side point
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer needs to capture that this passage is fundamentally about cultural preservation
- It should mention how someone took action to save musical traditions that were in danger of being lost
- The key elements are: cultural preservation efforts, prevention of loss, focus on musical traditions
To explain how industrialization affected Native American communities
- To explain how industrialization affected Native American communities
- This focuses only on the opening problem setup
- The passage mentions industrialization briefly as context, but doesn't explain its broader effects
- Misses the main focus on preservation work and success
To describe how cultural preservation efforts prevented the loss of musical traditions
- To describe how cultural preservation efforts prevented the loss of musical traditions
- Perfectly captures the passage's central focus on preservation efforts
- Includes both the action and the successful result
- Matches our understanding of the passage being fundamentally about successful cultural preservation
To compare traditional and modern approaches to music documentation
- To compare traditional and modern approaches to music documentation
- The passage never compares different approaches to documentation
- Only mentions one approach: Densmore's recording project
- This choice misreads the passage's purpose entirely
To advocate for the use of technology in ethnomusicological research
- To advocate for the use of technology in ethnomusicological research
- While the passage mentions wax cylinder technology, it doesn't advocate for technology use
- The focus is on the preservation success, not promoting technological methods
- Students might focus on the technology detail and miss the broader preservation purpose