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Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

A writer is editing a passage about the history of eating utensils and has drafted the following paragraph:

For centuries, Western Europeans ate their meals using only knives, spoons, and their fingers. When the Byzantine princess Maria Argyropoulina arrived in Venice in 1004 to marry the Doge's son, she brought with her a set of golden, two-pronged forks, which she used to eat her food. [1] The Venetian clergy, however, condemned the implement as an insult to God, declaring that human hands were the only tools fit to touch the food created by the heavens. Consequently, forks did not gain widespread acceptance in Italy for another several centuries.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:

Princess Maria was also known for her elaborate silk gowns and gold jewelry.

Should the writer make this addition at Point [1]?

  1. A
    Yes, because it provides useful detail that emphasizes the princess’s wealth and elevated royal status.
  2. B
    Yes, because it explains why the Venetian clergy was so critical of her dining habits.
  3. No, because it interrupts the paragraph's discussion of the fork's introduction to Venice with irrelevant personal details about the princess.Answer
  4. D
    No, because it contradicts the paragraph's statement that forks were condemned as an insult to God.

Answer

No, because it interrupts the paragraph's discussion of the fork's introduction to Venice with irrelevant personal details about the princess.
The correct option correctly identifies that the sentence should not be added because it introduces irrelevant details about Princess Maria's attire and jewelry. This information departs from the paragraph's central focus, which is the introduction of the fork and the controversy surrounding it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main topic and focus of the paragraph.
The paragraph focuses on the introduction of the fork to Venice by Princess Maria, the Venetian clergy's negative reaction to the utensil, and the resulting delay in its acceptance.
Establishing the paragraph's main theme is necessary to evaluate if the proposed sentence is relevant.
2
Evaluate the content of the proposed sentence.
The proposed sentence discusses Princess Maria's clothing (silk gowns) and personal accessories (gold jewelry).
Determining what the proposed sentence is about allows us to compare it to the main topic of the paragraph.
3
Compare the proposed sentence with the paragraph's focus to determine if it should be added.
The details about the princess's gowns and jewelry are irrelevant to the history of the fork and disrupt the flow of the paragraph, so the sentence should not be added.
This comparison provides both the correct decision (No) and the correct justification (it interrupts the discussion with irrelevant details).

Key Concept

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

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