Question

Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Whole-Essay Goals and Purpose

The following passage is about Mary Anning, a nineteenth-century fossil collector.

[1]
Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, a coastal town in Dorset, England. Her father, a cabinetmaker, frequently took Mary and her brother Joseph to the nearby cliffs to search for fossils to sell to tourists. This family trade, initially born of economic necessity, soon became Mary's lifelong passion. Despite her lack of formal education in science, Anning possessed an extraordinary eye for detail and an unmatched persistence, which would lead her to some of the most significant paleontological discoveries of the nineteenth century.

[2]
In 1811, when Mary was only twelve years old, she and Joseph discovered the skeleton of what was later named an Ichthyosaurus, a giant marine reptile that lived during the Jurassic period. A few years later, Mary discovered the first complete Plesiosaurus skeleton, a creature so bizarre that many scientists of the era initially believed it to be a fake. These findings, along with her discovery of the first pterosaur skeleton outside of Germany, challenged existing scientific theories about the history of the Earth and the extinction of species, providing crucial evidence for the emerging field of geology.

[3]
Despite her monumental contributions, Anning was largely excluded from the male-dominated scientific community. The Geological Society of London refused to admit her, and male scientists often published papers about her discoveries without giving her any credit. Nevertheless, her expertise was widely recognized by leading geologists of the day, who frequently visited Lyme Regis to consult with her. Today, Anning is celebrated not only for her groundbreaking discoveries but also as a pioneer who broke down barriers for women in science.

Suppose the writer's primary goal had been to write an essay focusing on the challenges Mary Anning faced as a female scientist in nineteenth-century England. Would this essay fulfill that goal?

  1. A
    Yes, because it details her exclusion from the Geological Society of London and the lack of credit she received from male geologists.
  2. B
    Yes, because it describes how Anning overcame her lack of formal education to become a pioneer for women in the field of science.
  3. No, because the essay instead provides a general overview of Anning's life, her major paleontological discoveries, and her lasting legacy.Answer
  4. D
    No, because the essay focuses primarily on the scientific classification of the Jurassic marine reptiles she discovered.

Answer

The essay does not fulfill the writer's goal because it provides a broad biographical overview of Mary Anning's life, discoveries, and legacy rather than focusing specifically on the challenges she faced as a woman in nineteenth-century science.
The correct option is correct because the passage as a whole is a general biographical sketch that describes Mary Anning's background, her major discoveries, and her lasting legacy. Although the third paragraph mentions her exclusion from the scientific community due to her gender, these challenges are not the primary focus of the entire essay. Therefore, the essay does not fulfill the proposed goal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the proposed writing goal.
The goal is to focus on the challenges Mary Anning faced as a female scientist in nineteenth-century England.
Understanding the target goal is necessary to evaluate if the text aligns with it.
2
Determine the primary focus of the essay.
The essay covers Anning's childhood fossil hunting, her major fossil discoveries (Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, pterosaur) and their impact on geology, and briefly mentions gender barriers before concluding with her recognition and legacy.
Evaluating the overall content reveals if the essay has a singular focus on the specified goal or if it is broader in scope.
3
Compare the essay's actual focus with the proposed goal.
While the essay mentions the challenges Anning faced as a woman, it is not the primary focus of the essay. The essay is a general biographical overview.
Comparing the actual focus with the proposed goal determines whether to select a 'Yes' or 'No' response and establishes the correct reasoning.

Key Concept

Evaluating Whole-Essay Goals and Purpose
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question