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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence Addition and Deletion Decisions

[1] Located on the remote Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault serves as a secure backup for the world's crop diversity. [2] The facility is built deep inside a sandstone mountain, where permafrost and thick rock ensure that the seed samples remain frozen even without electricity. [3] This isolated location offers excellent protection against political conflicts, natural disasters, and system failures. [4] Interestingly, Spitsbergen is also home to a thriving population of polar bears, which are well-adapted to the harsh Arctic climate. [5] By storing duplicates of seeds from genebanks worldwide, the vault plays a crucial role in safeguarding global food security against future agricultural crises.

The writer is considering deleting Sentence 4 from the passage. Should the writer make this deletion?

  1. Yes, because the sentence interrupts the paragraph's focus on the security and function of the seed vault by introducing irrelevant information about local wildlife.Answer
  2. B
    Yes, because the sentence contradicts the passage's earlier assertion that the seed vault is a highly secure facility.
  3. C
    No, because the sentence provides a necessary transition between the description of the vault's physical environment and its global purpose.
  4. D
    No, because the sentence offers critical supporting evidence demonstrating the main threat to the vault's physical integrity.

Answer

Yes, because the sentence interrupts the paragraph's focus on the security and function of the seed vault by introducing irrelevant information about local wildlife.
The correct answer is the option stating that the sentence should be deleted because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on the security and function of the seed vault by introducing irrelevant information about local wildlife. The main focus of the paragraph is the secure storage of crop diversity, and details about polar bear populations are off-topic and disrupt the unity of the passage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary topic and focus of the paragraph.
The paragraph explains the location, physical security, and global importance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
Understanding the main idea is essential for determining if a specific sentence belongs in the text.
2
Analyze the function of Sentence 4 within the paragraph.
Sentence 4 describes the presence of polar bears on the island of Spitsbergen.
This step determines whether the sentence supports, transitions, or distracts from the main topic.
3
Evaluate the relevance of the polar bear detail to the seed vault's security and purpose.
The detail about polar bears is tangential and does not support the discussion of crop diversity, physical fortification, or global food security.
Identifying that the sentence is irrelevant leads to the conclusion that it should be deleted.

Key Concept

Evaluating the relevance of a sentence to the main focus of a paragraph to determine whether it should be added or deleted.
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Topics

Sentence Addition and Deletion Decisions

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