Read the passage and answer the question.
(1) The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that blossomed in the 1920s in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. During this time, many Black artists, writers, and musicians shared their talents in new and powerful ways.
(2) The author begins by describing crowded clubs where jazz music spilled out onto the sidewalks. People came to listen, dance, and talk about art late into the night.
(3) For example, poet Langston Hughes wrote about everyday life and dreams. Furthermore, painter Aaron Douglas used bold shapes and strong lines to show history and hope. These artists helped others see Black culture as creative and important.
(4) The passage also includes a brief quotation from Hughes: he said he wanted to "express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame." This line shows how artists connected art to pride and identity.
(5) In addition, the movement influenced publishing, theater, and fashion. As a result, ideas from Harlem traveled across the United States and reached people who had never visited New York.
(6) In the final paragraph, the author elaborates that the Harlem Renaissance still matters today. Moreover, it opened doors for later artists and showed how culture can change the way a country thinks.
Question: Which method does the author primarily use in paragraphs 3–5 to illustrate the significance of the Harlem Renaissance?
- The author illustrates significance mainly through examples of artists and their work, supported by a quotation and cause-and-effect details. (correct answer)
- The author illustrates significance mainly by listing the movement's events in the order they happened, tracing each year of the 1920s in sequence.
- The author illustrates significance mainly by comparing Harlem's artists to musicians and writers working in other American cities during the same period.
- The author illustrates significance mainly by describing the personal struggles Hughes and Douglas faced before they became famous for their art.
Explanation: The correct answer names what paragraphs 3–5 actually do: they give concrete examples of artists (Hughes' poetry, Douglas' painting), include a quotation about pride and identity, and use cause-and-effect to show how ideas spread to publishing, theater, and fashion across the country. That matches the method the author truly uses. The choice about listing events year by year in order is wrong because these paragraphs are not built as a time-ordered sequence—they group examples and effects, not dates. The choice about comparing Harlem's artists to those in other cities is wrong because the passage never sets up a comparison with other places; it focuses only on Harlem's own artists and their impact. The choice about the artists' personal struggles before fame is wrong because the passage describes their work and influence, not their earlier hardships. Watch out for choices that name a real writing method (timeline, comparison, backstory) that simply isn't the one this author uses. Trace what the text actually does, paragraph by paragraph, before deciding.