#21 - Main Point

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (D).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[astroworld]

Hello,

I was down to answer choice (C) and (D), but I ended up choosing the wrong answer. Could you tell me how I could have eliminated answer choice (C)?

Thank you.

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, astroworld!

When you are down to two possibilities on Reading Comprehension, first revisit your prephrase: what's the primary purpose of this passage?

Primary purpose analysis is directly related to an understanding of the main point. In fact, the primary purpose is almost an abstraction of the main point.

While the main point is the "what" of the passage—what's this passage about? what's the thesis—the primary purpose is the "why." Why did this author write this?

The passage comprised a discussion of ways in which different cultures try to construct monolithic narratives to advance imagined, shared histories.

The author wrote this in order to highlight this repeated phenomenon in different kinds of societies: historic, imperial, and post-colonial.

Focus on a difference between answer choices (C) and (D). (C) places an emphasis on "objectivity" among those studying cultural identities. The subject of answer choice (C) is those who study the this cultural phenomenon.

The passage is not about those who are studying these cultures but rather about the cultures themselves, how they construct their shared and imagined identities. Answer choice (D) gets this emphasis right.

I hope this helps!