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Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

A writer is editing a passage about the invention of the windshield wiper and has drafted the following paragraph:

During a freezing trolley ride in New York City in 1902, Mary Anderson observed that the motorman had to keep the front window panes open to wipe away the accumulating sleet. Upon returning home to Alabama, Anderson sketched a design for a hand-operated blade that could clear a windshield from inside the vehicle. [1] In 1903, she was awarded a patent for her window-cleaning device, though many people initially doubted its safety, fearing it would distract drivers. Today, automatic wipers are a standard feature in virtually every automobile.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:

Alabama is known for its humid subtropical climate and mild winters.

Should the writer make this addition?

  1. A
    Yes, because it explains why Anderson preferred working on her new invention in Alabama rather than New York.
  2. B
    Yes, because it provides descriptive details that help establish the setting where the device was developed.
  3. No, because it shifts the paragraph's focus from the development of Anderson's invention to irrelevant geographical details.Answer
  4. D
    No, because it does not state whether Anderson ever tested her window-cleaning device in Alabama.

Answer

No, because it shifts the paragraph's focus from the development of Anderson's invention to irrelevant geographical details.
The paragraph focuses on the development, patenting, and ultimate standard adoption of Mary Anderson's invention of the windshield wiper. The proposed sentence discusses the climate of Alabama, which is completely irrelevant to the invention's history. Therefore, the sentence should not be added because it introduces an off-topic shift in focus to geographical details.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main focus of the paragraph.
The paragraph describes how Mary Anderson conceived the windshield wiper during a trip to New York, designed it in Alabama, and patented it, transitioning to its modern status.
Understanding the paragraph's theme is necessary to evaluate the relevance of any proposed addition.
2
Evaluate the relevance of the proposed sentence.
The proposed sentence discusses Alabama's climate (humid subtropical, mild winters), which is unrelated to the process of inventing or patenting the windshield wiper.
Adding off-topic sentences disrupts the flow and unity of the paragraph.
3
Determine the correct decision and justification.
The sentence should not be added (No) because it introduces an irrelevant shift in focus to geographical details.
The correct option must state both the correct decision ('No') and the rhetorically sound reason.

Key Concept

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content
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Topics

Evaluating Relevance for Adding or Deleting Content

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