Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumRhetorical Function of Specific Word Choices

Read the following passage from an essay on the history of cartography:

For centuries, cartography was as much an exercise in mythmaking as it was in measurement. Renaissance mapmakers, tasked with charting the unfamiliar contours of the New World, frequently filled the vast, unexplored spaces of the Atlantic with illustrations of sea serpents and imaginary islands. These embellishments were not merely whimsical decorations; they served a pragmatic commercial purpose. In an era when maps were expensive commodities commissioned by wealthy patrons, a blank canvas was viewed as a failure of knowledge. By populating the empty oceans with elaborate terrors and phantom territories, cartographers projected an aura of comprehensive authority. They transformed the terrifying void of the unknown into a populated, albeit fictitious, space that reassured patrons of the mapmakers' mastery over the globe. Consequently, the presence of these mythical beasts signaled not ignorance, but a calculated effort to advertise expertise.

As it is used in the final sentence of the passage, the word "calculated" most nearly serves to:

  1. A
    suggest that mapmakers used precise mathematical equations to determine the placement of the illustrations.
  2. emphasize that the inclusion of mythical creatures was a deliberate strategy to project professional competence.Answer
  3. C
    imply that mapmakers were coerced by wealthy patrons into adding decorative elements to their maps.
  4. D
    underscore the fact that Renaissance maps were expensive commodities reserved only for the elite.

Answer

The choice emphasizing that the inclusion of mythical creatures was a deliberate strategy to project professional competence is correct because the context shows that mapmakers strategically populated empty spaces to reassure their patrons of their expertise.
The correct answer is the choice that describes the mapmakers' actions as a deliberate strategy to project professional competence. In the passage, the author outlines how cartographers deliberately filled blank spaces with illustrations of sea beasts to project an 'aura of comprehensive authority' and reassure their wealthy patrons. In this context, 'calculated' means planned or deliberate, pointing directly to a strategic choice to market their skills.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the targeted word in the passage's final sentence.
The word is found in the clause: 'the presence of these mythical beasts signaled not ignorance, but a calculated effort to advertise expertise.'
This establishes the local context of the word.
2
Analyze the surrounding context to determine the author's purpose in using the word.
The passage discusses how mapmakers did not want to leave blank spaces because a blank canvas was viewed as a failure of knowledge. Filling the spaces reassured patrons of their mastery. Thus, the illustrations were a deliberate, planned choice to advertise their skill.
This determines the rhetorical function of the word in context.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches this deliberate, strategic function.
The option referring to a deliberate strategy to project professional competence aligns perfectly, while other choices either misinterpret the word as mathematical computation, distort the relationship as coercion, or focus on a true but functionally irrelevant detail about map costs.
This confirms the correct option based on evidence.

Key Concept

Rhetorical Function of Specific Word Choices
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

Rhetorical Function of Specific Word Choices

More questions from this topic