Question

Difficulty: MediumFulfilling Specific Rhetorical and Writing Goals

The writer wants to organize the following sentences into a cohesive paragraph that introduces the Montreal Biosphere, details its physical structure, explains the engineering solution used to support it, and concludes with its modern significance. Arrange the sentences in the correct order to fulfill this goal.

  1. 1Commissioned as the United States pavilion for Expo 67 in Montreal, the Biosphere was designed by architect Buckminster Fuller as a massive geodesic dome.
  2. 2The structure itself consisted of an intricate steel lattice enclosed in an acrylic skin, forming a sphere seventy-six meters in diameter.
  3. 3To support such a vast space without internal columns, Fuller utilized a mathematical system of interlocking triangles to distribute weight evenly.
  4. 4Today, this iconic dome stands not only as an environmental museum but also as an enduring symbol of mid-century architectural innovation.

Answer

The paragraph should begin with introducing the dome, followed by its physical description, the mathematical solution to its weight distribution, and finally its modern significance.
The correct order begins by introducing the dome, describes its physical structure, explains the engineering principle used to support it, and concludes with its modern significance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory sentence.
The sentence introducing the dome serves as the topic sentence.
A logical paragraph must first establish the subject (the Montreal Biosphere) before providing specific structural details.
2
Identify the sentence detailing physical structure.
The sentence describing the steel lattice and acrylic skin follows the introduction.
This details the specific construction of the geodesic dome mentioned in the introduction.
3
Identify the engineering solution.
The sentence about using interlocking triangles to support the vast space follows the structural details.
This explains how the physical structure (the geodesic dome) is mathematically supported without internal columns.
4
Identify the concluding sentence.
The sentence starting with 'Today' concludes the paragraph.
This provides a natural transition to the modern legacy of the Biosphere, wrapping up the paragraph's discussion.

Key Concept

Fulfilling specific rhetorical goals through logical paragraph organization.
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