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Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

A writer is editing a passage about the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone.

[1] In 1822, French scholar Jean-François Champollion made a breakthrough in deciphering the Rosetta Stone, an ancient slab of black granodiorite. [2] The stone, discovered in 1799, featured a single decree written in three scripts: hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Ancient Greek. [3] By comparing the Greek text, which scholars could already read, with the mysterious Egyptian hieroglyphs, Champollion began to map out the phonetic sounds of the ancient characters. [4] He worked diligently in a small Paris study, often ignoring his failing health to translate long passages late into the night. [5] Eventually, this comparative analysis allowed him to reconstruct the alphabet used by the scribes, unlocking centuries of Egyptian history.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the paragraph (placed after Sentence 3):

Ancient Greek was widely spoken and used for administrative purposes throughout the eastern Mediterranean during the Hellenistic period.

Should the writer make this addition?

  1. A
    Yes, because it explains why Ancient Greek was one of the three scripts carved into the Rosetta Stone.
  2. B
    Yes, because it provides historical context about the geographical spread of the Greek language during the Hellenistic era.
  3. No, because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on Champollion's decipherment process with irrelevant historical background about the Greek language.Answer
  4. D
    No, because it repeats details about the Rosetta Stone's inscription that are already mentioned earlier in the paragraph.

Answer

The correct answer states that the sentence should not be added because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on Champollion's decipherment process with irrelevant historical background about the Greek language.
The correct option correctly identifies that the proposed sentence should not be added. The paragraph centers on Jean-François Champollion's scientific process of using comparative analysis to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Introducing details about the administrative use of Ancient Greek in the Hellenistic period shifts the focus away from Champollion's bilingual methodology and personal diligence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main focus of the paragraph.
The paragraph focuses on Jean-François Champollion's methodology and process for deciphering the Rosetta Stone using comparative analysis.
To evaluate relevance, we must first establish the central theme of the existing text.
2
Evaluate the function of the proposed sentence.
The proposed sentence provides historical details about the widespread administrative use of Ancient Greek during the Hellenistic period.
This helps determine whether the new sentence supports the main focus or introduces a digression.
3
Compare the proposed sentence to the paragraph's theme and choose the correct decision.
The proposed sentence is irrelevant to Champollion's translation efforts and should not be added because it shifts the focus to Hellenistic history.
Since the sentence is irrelevant, the correct decision is 'No' because the sentence interrupts the flow of the passage with unnecessary background details.

Key Concept

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

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