Question

The primary purpose of the second paragraph is to \(\underline{\hspace{4cm}}\).

• A. Argue that short-term rentals have reached their peak, and that they will never command more eminence than that which they currently have.
• B. Convince the reader that short-term rentals are the most significant development in the realm in which the housing industry and the travel industry intersect.
• C. Emphasize the impact that short-term rentals have had on the travel industry, thereby transitioning between the first and third paragraphs.
• D. Provide a roadmap for the rest of the passage, given that the first paragraph served as an introductory paragraph to acquaint the reader with the topic.
• E. Provide a quantitative valuation of a significant trend that would otherwise be difficult to tangibilize when drawing on subjective terms.

Hint:

When analyzing a paragraph's purpose, pay close attention to the type of information it contains. A paragraph full of statistics and data is likely intended to provide evidence, quantify a claim, or establish the significance of the topic.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks about the function of the second paragraph within the larger passage. We need to analyze its content and role in developing the author's overall point.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's examine the content of the second paragraph:
- "In 2011, 40% of travelers reported..."
- "By 2013, this figure had jumped up to a staggering 49%."
- "The short-term rental business is a \$24 billion market..."
- "...holding 8% of the total market of U.S. travel."
The entire paragraph consists of statistics—percentages, monetary values, and market share. The first paragraph introduced the trend in subjective terms like "dramatically changing" and "blossomed." The second paragraph provides concrete numbers to prove and quantify this trend.
Let's evaluate the options:
- (A) The numbers show growth, not a peak. This is incorrect.
- (B) The author shows the trend is significant, but doesn't claim it's the "most" significant. This is an overstatement.
- (C) It does emphasize the impact and serves as a transition, but this is a very general description. Option (E) is more specific about *how* it achieves this.
- (D) The paragraph does not outline the structure of the rest of the text.
- (E) This option is the most precise. It provides a "quantitative valuation" (the numbers) of a "significant trend" (the growth of short-term rentals) that was previously described in more "subjective terms." This perfectly describes the function of the paragraph.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The second paragraph's primary purpose is to use data to give a concrete sense of the scale and growth of the short-term rental market. Option (E) describes this function most accurately.