Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

[1] In 132 CE, Chinese inventor Zhang Heng introduced the world's first seismoscope, a device designed to detect earthquakes from hundreds of miles away. [2] The vessel was cast in bronze and resembled a large urn, adorned with eight dragons pointing downwards. [3] Each dragon held a bronze ball in its mouth, positioned directly above a bronze toad with an open mouth waiting at the base. [4] When an earthquake occurred, a pendulum mechanism inside the urn would swing and release the ball from the dragon corresponding to the direction of the earthquake's epicenter. [5] Zhang Heng was also a talented astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the calculation of π\pi. [6] When the ball fell into the toad's mouth, it produced a loud clang, alerting the imperial court to both the occurrence of a tremor and its direction.

The writer is considering deleting Sentence 5 from the paragraph. Should this sentence be kept or deleted?

  1. A
    Keep it, because it provides essential biographical details that help establish Zhang Heng's credibility as an inventor.
  2. B
    Keep it, because it explains the mathematical calculations required to build the seismoscope's pendulum system.
  3. Delete it, because it interrupts the detailed description of the seismoscope's appearance and function with unrelated information about Zhang Heng's other accomplishments.Answer
  4. D
    Delete it, because it repeats information about Zhang Heng's scientific career that is already established in the opening sentence.

Answer

Delete the sentence because it interrupts the detailed description of the seismoscope's appearance and function with unrelated information about Zhang Heng's other accomplishments.
The correct choice identifies that the sentence should be deleted because it interrupts the detailed description of the seismoscope's appearance and function with unrelated information about Zhang Heng's other accomplishments. The paragraph focuses on how the seismoscope looked and functioned to detect earthquakes; details about Zhang Heng's achievements in astronomy and mathematics (specifically calculating π\pi) deviate from this central topic.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main topic and focus of the paragraph.
The paragraph describes the appearance and physical mechanics of Zhang Heng's seismoscope (how it detects earthquakes, what it is made of, and how the parts interact).
Determining the paragraph's focus is essential for evaluating whether a sentence is relevant or tangential.
2
Analyze the content of the sentence being considered for deletion (Sentence 5).
Sentence 5 states: 'Zhang Heng was also a talented astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the calculation of π\pi.' This introduces his achievements in other scientific fields.
We must compare the sentence's content with the paragraph's central focus to determine its relevance.
3
Evaluate the decision and choose the correct justification.
The sentence should be deleted because it interrupts the explanation of the seismoscope's mechanics with tangential biographical information. Therefore, the option recommending deletion for introducing unrelated achievements is correct.
Selecting the option that correctly identifies the need for deletion and provides the accurate rhetorical reason ensures paragraph unity.

Key Concept

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content
Rate this question

Topics

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

More questions from this topic