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Difficulty: MediumStylistic Appropriateness

In 1856, Eunice Foote, an American scientist and women's rights activist, conducted groundbreaking experiments on the interaction of sunlight with different gases. Utilizing simple equipment—specifically, glass cylinders, thermometers, and an air pump—she demonstrated that carbon dioxide and moist air trapped more heat than dry atmospheric air. In her paper, she hypothesized that an atmosphere containing higher concentrations of carbon dioxide would result in a warmer Earth. Although her work was presented at an academic conference, it was totally sidelined and ignored by dudes in the scientific establishment for decades. Despite this lack of recognition, Foote’s experiments laid the essential foundation for modern climate science.

Which of the following choices best restores stylistic consistency and appropriate tone to the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. it was largely overlooked by the scientific communityAnswer
  3. C
    it didn't really get any traction with the science crowd
  4. D
    it was characterized by a complete absence of recognition and notice from the established scientific community

Answer

The correct answer is the option that states 'it was largely overlooked by the scientific community'.
The correct option is the one that states 'it was largely overlooked by the scientific community'. This choice aligns with the established formal, objective, and academic register of the passage. It also expresses the idea clearly and concisely without wordiness or colloquialisms.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the tone and style of the surrounding passage.
The passage maintains a formal, objective, and academic tone suitable for a historical profile of a scientific discovery.
Establishing the target tone helps identify word choices that are out of place.
2
Evaluate the underlined text for tone errors, wordiness, and redundancy.
The original phrasing is informal due to the word 'dudes' and redundant due to the pair 'sidelined and ignored'.
This confirms that the original option must be changed to restore appropriate style.
3
Review the remaining options to select the one that matches the target tone while remaining concise and grammatically correct.
The option referring to being 'largely overlooked by the scientific community' matches the formal tone and is concise. The other choices are either too conversational or overly wordy.
This determines the correct option based on stylistic consistency and conciseness.

Key Concept

Stylistic Appropriateness
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Topics

Stylistic Appropriateness

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