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Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

In 1945, self-taught engineer Percy Spencer was testing a magnetron—a vacuum tube that generates microwave radiation—for a radar system at the Raytheon Corporation. Standing in front of the active device, Spencer was startled to find that a chocolate bar in his pocket had completely melted. Intrigued, he placed corn kernels near the tube, only to watch them pop and scatter across the lab. [1] Realizing that low-density electromagnetic energy could cook food faster than conventional ovens, Spencer immediately began designing a metal box to concentrate the waves, paving the way for the modern microwave oven.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:
'Popcorn had been a popular snack for thousands of years, dating back to ancient indigenous cultures in the Americas.'

Should the writer make this addition?

  1. A
    Yes, because it provides relevant historical context about one of the foods Spencer used in his experiments.
  2. B
    Yes, because it explains why Spencer was intrigued by the corn kernels popping in the laboratory.
  3. No, because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on Spencer's discovery by introducing irrelevant historical details about popcorn.Answer
  4. D
    No, because it contradicts the paragraph's claim that Spencer was the first person to realize that electromagnetic energy could heat food.

Answer

The writer should not make the addition because the proposed sentence interrupts the paragraph's focus on Spencer's discovery by introducing irrelevant historical details about popcorn.
The correct option states that the sentence should not be added because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on Spencer's discovery by introducing irrelevant historical details about popcorn. The paragraph centers on the accidental discovery of microwave cooking and the development of the microwave oven; details about the ancient history of popcorn are irrelevant to this narrative.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main focus of the paragraph.
The paragraph describes the series of events leading to Percy Spencer's accidental discovery of microwave cooking and his subsequent invention of the microwave oven.
To determine if any proposed sentence is relevant, we must first establish what the paragraph is about.
2
Evaluate the content of the proposed sentence.
The proposed sentence discusses the ancient history of popcorn in the Americas.
This helps us see if the new information directly supports, develops, or elaborates on the paragraph's core topic.
3
Determine if the proposed sentence is relevant and choose the correct option.
The proposed sentence is irrelevant because the paragraph is about the modern invention of microwave cooking, not the general history of popcorn. Therefore, the sentence should not be added.
This leads us to the correct decision (No) and the correct logical reason (it interrupts the focus with irrelevant details).

Key Concept

Evaluating the relevance of potential additions to a paragraph based on its primary focus.
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Topics

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

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