Question

Difficulty: MediumSupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

[1] In the early twentieth century, Japanese-American artist Chiura Obata captured the grandeur of the California wilderness through his unique fusion of traditional Japanese ink-painting techniques and Western landscape styles. [2] During his 1927 trek through Yosemite National Park, Obata worked tirelessly to document the dramatic topography. [3] He claimed that the park's natural features possessed a spiritual, dynamic energy that could only be captured through precise, expressive brushwork. [4] To convey this sense of raw energy, Obata focused his attention on the park's most iconic geological formations.

The writer wants to add a sentence after Sentence 4 that provides the most specific, concrete visual detail to support the claim in Sentence 3. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?

  1. A
    Because Yosemite's weather was notoriously unpredictable, which forced him to paint inside a temporary canvas shelter during rainstorms.
  2. B
    His artwork from this trip was eventually compiled into a highly acclaimed portfolio containing dozens of prints that captured various scenes throughout the valley.
  3. He utilized sweeping, indigo-dyed brushstrokes to depict the towering granite face of Half Dome reflecting the stark, golden light of a late autumn sunset.Answer
  4. D
    Hoping to find inspiration, the valley floor was explored by Obata for several weeks before he began his first major painting.

Answer

The sentence describing how Obata utilized sweeping, indigo-dyed brushstrokes to depict Half Dome reflecting golden sunset light is the correct choice because it provides the most specific, concrete visual details to support the claim about capturing Yosemite's dynamic energy.
The correct answer is the option describing Obata using sweeping, indigo-dyed brushstrokes to depict the granite face of Half Dome in the golden light of sunset. This sentence provides highly specific, sensory, and concrete visual details that directly illustrate how his 'expressive brushwork' captured the 'dynamic energy' of the park's geological formations, fulfilling the rhetorical goal stated in the prompt.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt's request.
The prompt asks for a sentence that provides the most 'specific, concrete visual detail' to support the claim in Sentence 3, which states that Yosemite's features possessed a 'spiritual, dynamic energy' requiring 'precise, expressive brushwork.'
This establishes the target criteria: the option must contain concrete imagery and relate directly to the energy and brushwork claim.
2
Evaluate the grammatical correctness and specificity of each option.
The option starting with 'Because' is a fragment, and the option starting with 'Hoping' contains a dangling modifier. The option mentioning the portfolio is grammatically correct but highly vague and general. The option describing Half Dome with 'sweeping, indigo-dyed brushstrokes' and 'stark, golden light' is grammatically correct and loaded with specific visual details.
ACT English questions require both grammatical correctness and alignment with specific rhetorical goals.
3
Select the option that meets both the rhetorical and grammatical constraints.
The option containing the detailed description of Half Dome and the golden light is the only one that is both grammatically sound and highly specific.
It successfully illustrates 'expressive brushwork' and 'dynamic energy' through concrete imagery.

Key Concept

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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