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Question

Difficulty: Very hardMeeting Specific Rhetorical Goals

Passage excerpt:

Deep in the forests of Japan's Echizen province, master papermakers continue to practice the ancient art of crafting washi. During the coldest months of winter, artisans stand in freezing mountain streams to wash the raw mulberry fibers, which are then beaten on stone slabs, ________.

The writer wants to choose a phrase that most effectively contrasts the grueling physical labor of the papermaking process with the delicate, refined quality of the finished product. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. A
    a traditional technique passed down through generations
  2. a bone-chilling chore that ultimately yields a sheet of paper famed for its gossamer texture and soft, organic sheen.Answer
  3. C
    an arduous method requiring hours of repetitive swinging, which was performed only by the most experienced members of the guild.
  4. D
    the work is grueling, it creates a delicate sheet of paper.

Answer

The choice describing the papermaking process as a 'bone-chilling chore' that produces paper with a 'gossamer texture and soft, organic sheen' is correct because it successfully achieves the writer's goal of contrasting grueling labor with a delicate final product while maintaining correct grammar.
The correct option effectively fulfills the prompt's requirement by contrasting the intense physical difficulty of the task ('bone-chilling chore') with the delicate beauty of the final product ('gossamer texture and soft, organic sheen'). It fits grammatically into the sentence as an appositive modifying the action of washing and beating the fibers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt's rhetorical goal.
The target phrase must achieve two things: highlight grueling physical labor and highlight the delicate, refined quality of the finished washi paper.
Understanding the specific rhetorical criteria is necessary to evaluate the options.
2
Evaluate the grammatical correctness of the options in context.
The option containing 'was performed' shifts inappropriately into the past tense, while the option containing 'the work is grueling, it creates...' creates a comma splice. The remaining options are grammatically correct.
ACT English questions require any chosen answer to be grammatically correct within the context of the sentence.
3
Select the grammatically correct option that fulfills the rhetorical goal.
The option referring to a 'bone-chilling chore' (grueling labor) and 'gossamer texture and soft, organic sheen' (refined quality) is the only choice that meets both criteria.
This option satisfies all constraints of the prompt and the passage.

Key Concept

Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals

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