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Difficulty: HardEliminating Wordiness

Consider the following passage:

In 1977, oceanographers exploring the Galápagos Rift made a startling discovery: deep-sea hydrothermal vents teeming with life. Previously, scientists had assumed that all marine ecosystems ultimately relied on sunlight for energy. However, these vents, emitting mineral-rich water at temperatures exceeding 600��F, supported complex communities of giant tube worms, blind crabs, and ghost-like fish. These organisms thrived in complete darkness, obtaining sustenance not from photosynthesis but from chemosynthetic bacteria, which are bacteria that generate energy by oxidation of chemical compounds, a process that produces energy from chemicals instead of from the sun.

Which of the following choices is the best edit for the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. A
    bacteria, which are bacteria that generate energy by oxidation of chemical compounds, a process that produces energy from chemicals instead of from the sun.
  2. bacteria, which oxidize chemical compounds to produce energy.Answer
  3. C
    bacteria, they oxidize chemical compounds to produce energy.
  4. D
    bacteria. Which oxidize chemical compounds to produce energy.

Answer

bacteria, which oxidize chemical compounds to produce energy.
The correct answer is the most concise option that preserves the original meaning and is grammatically correct. It eliminates the redundant repetition of the word 'bacteria' and the circular explanation of oxidation while maintaining an active, subordinate relationship with the preceding clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the redundancy in the underlined phrase.
The phrase 'which are bacteria' repeats the noun 'bacteria' unnecessarily, and 'a process that produces energy from chemicals instead of from the sun' is a redundant explanation of 'oxidation of chemical compounds'.
Wordiness and redundancy make sentences less effective and should be eliminated.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the concise alternatives.
The correct option is grammatically correct and concise. The option containing 'they oxidize' creates a comma splice. The option starting with a period and 'Which' creates a sentence fragment.
Eliminating wordiness must not introduce new grammatical errors.

Key Concept

Eliminating Wordiness
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Topics

Eliminating Wordiness

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