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Question

Difficulty: EasySupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

A writer is editing a draft of an essay about Mesoamerican agriculture.

[1] The chinampas, an ancient Mesoamerican agricultural system often referred to as "floating gardens," were highly efficient farming plots built on shallow lake beds. [2] By layering mud, decaying vegetation, and reeds, Aztec farmers created nutrient-rich fields that could support multiple harvests per year. [3] ______________ [4] Consequently, this innovative system played a vital role in feeding the rapidly growing population of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

The writer wants to insert a sentence at point [3] that provides the most specific and concrete detail to support the claim in sentence [2] regarding the productivity of the fields. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. These specialized plots yielded up to seven crops annually, providing enough corn, beans, and squash to sustain thousands of residents.Answer
  2. B
    Aztec farmers traveled between the narrow plots using small wooden canoes, navigating the network of canals that surrounded the fields.
  3. C
    These gardens were incredibly productive, they allowed the empire to flourish without facing food shortages.
  4. D
    Because the lake mud was packed with organic matter; which allowed the crops to grow much faster than normal.

Answer

The option stating that the plots yielded up to seven crops annually and provided corn, beans, and squash to sustain residents is correct because it uses specific numbers and concrete details to support the claim of high agricultural productivity.
The correct option provides concrete, quantitative evidence of the farming plots' productivity by stating they yielded up to seven crops annually and listing specific crops (corn, beans, and squash). This directly supports the claim in sentence [2] regarding multiple harvests.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the central claim in sentence 2 that needs supporting details.
The claim is that the chinampas were nutrient-rich fields that could support multiple harvests per year.
This establishes the criteria for the correct evidence: it must demonstrate high agricultural productivity and multiple harvests.
2
Evaluate the choices to find which one offers specific, concrete details supporting this productivity.
The option containing quantitative data (seven crops annually) and specific crops (corn, beans, squash) directly supports the claim with concrete details.
Standardized tests like the ACT prioritize concrete, specific details over vague generalities or off-topic information.
3
Eliminate choices that are off-topic or grammatically incorrect.
The canoe option is off-topic; the comma splice and semicolon options are grammatically incorrect.
Ensures the final selection is both contextually relevant and grammatically sound.

Key Concept

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details
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Topics

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details

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