Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardSelecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions

The following passage is an excerpt from an essay about ancient manuscripts.

In 1906, Danish philologist Johan Ludvig Heiberg examined a medieval prayer book in Istanbul and made a startling discovery: underneath the thirteenth-century religious texts lay much older, partially erased mathematical treatises by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes. This unique manuscript, known as the Archimedes Palimpsest, contained the only surviving copy of *The Method of Mechanical Theorems*, in which Archimedes anticipated modern calculus by using infinitesimals to calculate areas and volumes.

To read the faint, overwritten script, modern conservators utilized multispectral imaging, a technology that captures images under various wavelengths of light to expose the chemical differences between the two layers of ink. This non-invasive method successfully revealed lost pages of Archimedes's works alongside commentaries on Aristotle. [Underlined: Fortunately, the book was preserved through the centuries despite its poor condition.]

The writer wants to conclude the passage with a sentence that emphasizes the significance of the recovery of the Archimedes Palimpsest and summarizes the main themes of the passage. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    In contrast, these digital tools have salvaged a cornerstone of ancient mathematics and bridged the gap between classical inquiry and modern analysis.
  3. C
    Nevertheless, this advanced imaging has revolutionized the field of textual recovery, it allows researchers to reconstruct history without damaging fragile parchment.
  4. Ultimately, by illuminating these hidden layers, digital technology has not only salvaged a cornerstone of ancient mathematics but also bridged the gap between classical inquiry and modern scientific analysis.Answer

Answer

The correct option is the one stating that digital technology has salvaged a cornerstone of ancient mathematics and bridged the gap between classical inquiry and modern scientific analysis, because it uses an appropriate transition to summarize the passage's core themes while maintaining grammatical correctness.
The option starting with 'Ultimately, by illuminating these hidden layers...' is correct because it uses the logical transition 'Ultimately' to signal a final summary, avoids grammatical errors, and directly addresses the writer's goal of emphasizing the significance of the recovered mathematical texts (archimedes' calculus) and the digital methods used to salvage them.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the rhetorical goal specified in the prompt, which demands a concluding sentence that emphasizes the significance of the recovery of the Archimedes Palimpsest and summarizes the main themes of the passage (namely, Heiberg's discovery, the mathematical treatises, and the modern digital recovery process).
The correct sentence must synthesize both the technological effort (multispectral imaging) and the historical importance of the salvaged mathematics.
This establishes the criteria for evaluating the concluding sentence options.
2
Evaluate the grammar of each option, looking for errors such as comma splices or tense shifts.
The option beginning with 'Nevertheless...' contains a comma splice between 'textual recovery' and 'it allows'.
Any option with grammatical errors must be eliminated regardless of its content.
3
Evaluate the logical transitions used in each option to see if they fit the flow of the passage.
The option beginning with 'In contrast...' and the option beginning with 'Nevertheless...' both use contrast transitions, which are logically incorrect since the final sentence should summarize and reinforce the previous positive points, not oppose them.
Transition words must accurately represent the logical connection between ideas.
4
Compare the remaining options against the rhetorical goal.
The original text (NO CHANGE) only mentions the book's physical preservation, whereas the option starting with 'Ultimately, by illuminating...' connects the digital technology ('illuminating these hidden layers') with the recovery of the mathematical foundation ('salvaged a cornerstone of ancient mathematics').
The correct option must fully satisfy the rhetorical goal while remaining grammatically and logically sound.

Key Concept

Selecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

Selecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions

More questions from this topic