Passage Excerpt:
In 1856, while attempting to synthesize quinine to treat malaria, eighteen-year-old chemist William Henry Perkin accidentally created mauveine, the world’s first synthetic organic dye. At the time, purple clothing was a status symbol affordable only by the extremely wealthy because natural purple dyes were harvested from rare sea snails. [1]
The writer wants to add a sentence at point [1] that contrasts the traditional difficulty of obtaining purple dye with the ease and affordability introduced by Perkin's synthetic alternative. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
- APerkin patented his discovery, he quickly established a factory to mass-produce the new dye.
- Unlike the laborious extraction process from snails, Perkin's synthetic method produced a vibrant, inexpensive color that could be easily mass-manufactured.Answer
- CPerkin patented his discovery and quickly established a factory to mass-produce the new dye.
- DThe color purple had long been associated with royalty and wealth in various empires across the globe.
Answer
Unlike the laborious extraction process from snails, Perkin's synthetic method produced a vibrant, inexpensive color that could be easily mass-manufactured.
The correct option successfully fulfills the rhetorical goal by contrasting the traditional difficulty of obtaining purple dye (the laborious extraction process from snails) with the ease and affordability of Perkin's synthetic alternative (an inexpensive color that could be easily mass-manufactured).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals