LSAT 128 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q21

RC Question 21 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The primary purpose of this passage is to …

DISCUSSION: Why is the author telling us any of this? Well, he’s aiming to argue that cultures are more fluid and hybrid than we let on, and that many “historic” practices are actually constructed or reimagined later.

You should think of primary purpose questions like main point ones. They should be sufficiently general to address the entire point of the passage rather than just an example or narrow part of it.

___________

1. Never addressed a global culture.
2. Imperialist attitudes are discussed but this is too narrow.
3. The passage is about the cultures themselves, not who is studying them or how to do so.
4. CORRECT. This reflects the author’s main point, and what all of the examples are used to argue. Present concerns (e.g. England projecting power in India or Algeria wanting to get rid of French influences) shape cultural identity.
5. Too narrow, this was just addressed in one sentence.