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Difficulty: EasySupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

Given the following passage:

In 1925, at the age of fifty-five, Ynes Mexia embarked on her first botanical collecting expedition to Mexico. Over the next thirteen years, she traveled across North and South America, brave enough to confront harsh environments in search of rare plants. Her efforts resulted in the collection of nearly 150,000 plant specimens, including hundreds of new species. In particular, her discovery of a new genus of sunflower, *Mexianthus*, solidified her legacy in the scientific community.

The writer wants to revise the underlined portion ("brave enough to confront harsh environments") to provide the most specific, concrete details that support the claim that Mexia traveled through challenging and remote terrain. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. riding on horseback through the rugged Sierra Madre mountains and canoeing down the Amazon RiverAnswer
  2. B
    encountering difficult weather; and traveling long distances far from home
  3. C
    collecting thousands of plant specimens that she later sent to museums and universities
  4. D
    having started her scientific career much later in life than most of her contemporaries

Answer

The phrase that describes riding on horseback through the rugged Sierra Madre mountains and canoeing down the Amazon River is the correct choice because it provides the most specific, concrete visual details of the challenging terrain Mexia braved.
The correct choice provides specific, concrete geographical details ('Sierra Madre mountains', 'Amazon River') and actions ('riding on horseback', 'canoeing') that vividly illustrate the challenging and remote terrain Mexia traversed.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the claim that needs to be supported in the sentence.
The claim is that Mexia traveled through challenging and remote physical environments.
This ensures the selected details directly align with the writing goal.
2
Evaluate the options to find the one that provides the most specific and concrete visual details of terrain and travel methods.
The option mentioning riding on horseback through the Sierra Madre mountains and canoeing down the Amazon River provides highly specific geographical details and modes of transport.
Concrete details make the description vivid and persuasive compared to generalized statements.
3
Verify that the chosen option is grammatically correct and fits the context.
The chosen phrase integrates smoothly and has no grammatical errors.
ACT English requires both rhetorical effectiveness and grammatical correctness.

Key Concept

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

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details

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