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Difficulty: MediumEliminating Wordiness

In 1948, biophysicist Maria Telkes and architect Eleanor Raymond designed the Dover Sun House, a residence that relied entirely on solar energy for heating. The system that heated the house relied on chemistry, utilizing Glauber's salt, which is a chemical compound that stores heat, to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. During sunny days, the salt absorbed heat from the sun and melted, storing thermal energy. As the temperature dropped at night, the salt solidified and released the stored heat back into the house.

Which choice best replaces the underlined portion to express the idea clearly and concisely?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    Because the chemical system relied on Glauber's salt, a heat-storing compound, to maintain a comfortable temperature.
  3. The chemical system relied on Glauber's salt, a heat-storing compound, to maintain a comfortable temperature.Answer
  4. D
    To maintain a comfortable temperature, the system relied on Glauber's salt, which was a heat-storing compound that was utilized by it.

Answer

The correct choice is the option that states 'The chemical system relied on Glauber's salt, a heat-storing compound, to maintain a comfortable temperature.'
The correct choice is the most concise option that eliminates redundant phrasing while maintaining grammatical correctness. The original sentence repeats ideas needlessly (e.g., 'system that heated' and 'to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature', as well as 'chemistry' and 'chemical compound'). The correct choice simplifies these descriptions to 'chemical system' and 'heat-storing compound' without changing the meaning of the passage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify wordiness and redundancy in the underlined portion.
Recognize that 'system that heated the house' is redundant with 'maintain a comfortable indoor temperature', and 'chemistry' is redundant with 'chemical compound'.
ACT English tests efficiency in language; any repetitive or unnecessary words should be removed.
2
Evaluate the choices for conciseness and clarity.
The option starting with 'The chemical system' successfully condenses the idea into fewer words while preserving the meaning.
The correct choice must state the idea in the most direct way possible.
3
Verify that the selected option is grammatically correct.
Ensure the option forms a complete sentence (unlike the fragment starting with 'Because') and avoids awkward passive voice (unlike the option ending with 'utilized by it').
An option must not only be concise but also grammatically sound.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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