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Question

Difficulty: MediumSupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

Passage

[1] During World War II, mathematician Joan Clarke played a pivotal role in the cryptanalysis effort at Bletchley Park, where she worked to decipher encrypted German naval communications. [2] Although initially hired as a clerk, her exceptional analytical skills quickly earned her a promotion to Hut 8, the team responsible for breaking the complex Enigma cipher. [3] Clarke's work was essential because <u>she helped the Allied forces with their shipping operations</u>. [4] Her colleagues frequently noted that her contributions went far beyond mere calculation; she introduced innovative methods that significantly reduced the time needed to decode critical messages.

Question

The writer wants to replace the underlined portion in sentence 3 with specific, concrete details that illustrate the tangible impact of Clarke's decryptions on Allied convoys. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. A
    she helped the Allied forces with their shipping operations.
  2. her decryptions enabled Allied convoys to steer clear of German submarine wolfpacks, preventing the sinking of cargo ships carrying vital food and ammunition.Answer
  3. C
    because her mathematical insights allowed the team to track submarine coordinates and reroute merchant ships.
  4. D
    she worked long hours in Hut 8 alongside Alan Turing, they developed the Banburismus technique together.

Answer

her decryptions enabled Allied convoys to steer clear of German submarine wolfpacks, preventing the sinking of cargo ships carrying vital food and ammunition.
The correct option replaces the vague statement with concrete details (submarine wolfpacks, cargo ships carrying food and ammunition) that illustrate the physical and tangible impact of Clarke's cryptanalysis work, while maintaining perfect grammatical structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt to identify the specific rhetorical goal.
The prompt asks for 'specific, concrete details' that show the 'tangible impact' of Clarke's decryptions on Allied convoys.
This establishes the criteria for evaluating the choices based on the requested detail and purpose.
2
Evaluate the choices for grammatical correctness.
The option starting with 'because her mathematical insights' creates a dependent clause fragment. The option describing her work with Alan Turing creates a comma splice.
Eliminating grammatically incorrect options helps narrow down the choices under time pressure.
3
Compare the remaining grammatically correct options based on the prompt's criteria.
The original phrasing is very general, whereas the option detailing submarine wolfpacks and preventing the sinking of food and ammunition cargo contains specific and concrete visual details of the tangible impact.
Choosing the option that fulfills the rhetorical criteria of specificity ensures the correct answer is selected.

Key Concept

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details
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Topics

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details

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