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Question

Difficulty: MediumMeeting Specific Rhetorical Goals

Passage Excerpt:
During the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s, the US War Department lobbied for the bridge to be painted with yellow and black stripes to ensure visibility for passing military ships. However, consulting architect Irving Morrow disagreed. He argued that the steel primer coat—a vibrant, reddish-orange—blended with the surrounding landscape while remaining highly visible in the bay's frequent fog.

The writer wants to choose a phrase for the underlined portion that emphasizes how the color of the bridge harmonizes specifically with the natural, changing hues of the local terrain and water. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. complemented the warm gold of the coastal hills and the cool blues of the waterAnswer
  2. B
    stood out clearly against the dark gray hulls of passing military ships
  3. C
    reminded local residents of the vibrant colors found in Spanish architecture
  4. D
    complements the warm gold of the coastal hills and the cool blues of the water

Answer

complemented the warm gold of the coastal hills and the cool blues of the water
The correct choice successfully details the natural elements of the local environment (the gold hills and blue water) while maintaining the historical past-tense narrative with the verb 'complemented'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the requested rhetorical goal.
The prompt asks for a phrase that emphasizes how the bridge's color harmonizes with the natural, changing hues of the local terrain and water.
This establishes the criteria that the correct answer must fulfill.
2
Evaluate the choices for alignment with the rhetorical goal.
The phrase mentioning the gold of the coastal hills and the cool blues of the water describes the natural landscape's hues, unlike the options mentioning military ships or Spanish architecture.
Only this description directly satisfies the natural environment aspect of the prompt.
3
Check the verb tense for grammatical consistency with the passage.
The passage is set in the past tense, establishing that the correct verb must be 'complemented' rather than the present-tense 'complements'.
This ensures the selected option is both rhetorically and grammatically correct.

Key Concept

Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals
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Topics

Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals

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