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Question

Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

In 1856, eighteen-year-old chemist William Henry Perkin accidentally created mauveine, the world’s first synthetic aniline dye, while attempting to synthesize a treatment for malaria. Recognizing the commercial potential of the vibrant purple substance, Perkin quickly patented his process and established a factory to mass-produce the dye. Indigo, another highly valued natural dye, was later successfully synthesized by German chemist Adolf von Baeyer in 1883. Perkin’s inexpensive synthetic dye revolutionized the fashion industry, making the color purple—previously reserved only for royalty—widely accessible to the general public.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence from the passage. Should the writer make this deletion?

  1. Yes, because the sentence interrupts the paragraph's focus on Perkin's discovery of mauveine and its impact.Answer
  2. B
    Yes, because the sentence contradicts the assertion that purple was a color reserved for royalty.
  3. C
    No, because the sentence provides a necessary transition to the discussion of the nineteenth-century fashion industry.
  4. D
    No, because the sentence offers a useful comparison between Perkin's dye and other synthetic chemicals of the era.

Answer

Yes, because the sentence interrupts the paragraph's focus on Perkin's discovery of mauveine and its impact.
The correct choice is the option that recommends deleting the sentence because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on Perkin's discovery of mauveine and its impact. The passage details Perkin's accidental synthesis of mauveine and how it popularized the color purple. The sentence about Adolf von Baeyer synthesizing indigo in 1883 is a tangential detail that disrupts the paragraph's focus on Perkin's mauveine.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the main topic of the paragraph.
The paragraph centers on William Henry Perkin's accidental discovery of the purple dye mauveine and how it revolutionized the fashion industry by making the color accessible.
Establishing the main focus is necessary to evaluate whether other details are relevant to this focus.
2
Evaluate the relevance of the underlined sentence to the main topic.
The underlined sentence discusses Adolf von Baeyer's synthesis of indigo in 1883, which introduces a different chemist and a different dye.
This step helps identify if the sentence provides essential context or if it is a distraction.
3
Determine the correct deletion decision and the reasoning behind it.
Since the sentence shifts the focus away from Perkin and mauveine, it should be deleted. The correct option is the one stating that the deletion should occur because the sentence interrupts the focus on Perkin's discovery and its impact.
This step matches the analysis to the correct multiple-choice option.

Key Concept

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content
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Topics

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

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