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Difficulty: HardStylistic Appropriateness

Early motion pictures were recorded on cellulose nitrate film, a material that was both highly flammable and chemically unstable. Over time, these historical reels undergo a process of decay, releasing acidic gases that degrade the emulsion until the image is completely lost. To halt this deterioration, archivist crews laboring in specialized vaults have to check out the films on a regular basis to monitor their condition. If a reel shows signs of decay, it is immediately copied onto a modern, stable polyester base.

Which choice most effectively maintains the established tone of the passage and is most concise?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. inspect the films periodicallyAnswer
  3. C
    conduct meticulous examinations of the cinematic artifacts at recurrent intervals
  4. D
    regularly inspect the films over and over again

Answer

inspect the films periodically
The correct choice is 'inspect the films periodically' because it preserves the formal, academic tone of the passage through appropriate vocabulary ('inspect', 'periodically') and maintains optimal conciseness by avoiding redundant modifiers and wordy prepositional phrases.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and established register of the passage.
The surrounding text uses formal, precise, and objective language appropriate for a scientific or historical exposition (e.g., 'cellulose nitrate', 'chemically unstable', 'degrade the emulsion').
Identifying the target tone is necessary to ensure the replaced phrase maintains stylistic consistency.
2
Identify the stylistic flaw in the underlined text.
The phrase 'have to check out' is conversational and informal, causing a clear tone clash with the rest of the academic passage.
Recognizing the tone register mismatch determines why the original text must be changed.
3
Evaluate the choices for tone, precision, and conciseness.
The option to 'inspect the films periodically' is formal and concise. The option to 'conduct meticulous examinations...' is too pretentious and wordy, while the option to 'regularly inspect the films over and over again' contains redundant frequency terms.
Eliminating options that are overly informal, overly formal, or redundant leaves the single correct, stylistically balanced choice.

Key Concept

Stylistic Appropriateness
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Stylistic Appropriateness

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