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Difficulty: MediumRhetorical Functions of Sentences and Paragraphs

For decades, biologists viewed the deep ocean floor as a biological wasteland, a desolate desert devoid of life due to the crushing pressure and complete absence of sunlight. This consensus was shattered in 1977 with the discovery of hydrothermal vents—fissures in the ocean floor that spew superheated, mineral-rich water. Surprising scientists, these vents supported teeming, complex ecosystems powered not by photosynthesis, but by chemosynthesis, a process where bacteria convert chemical energy from the vents into organic matter. This finding did more than merely add a new habitat to the biological register; it fundamentally challenged the long-held assumption that all complex life on Earth must ultimately rely on solar energy.

Based on the passage, what is the primary rhetorical function of the final sentence ("This finding did more... solar energy")?

  1. highlight the broader significance of the discovery by explaining how it shifted a fundamental scientific paradigmAnswer
  2. B
    describe the physical and chemical processes that bacteria use to generate food near hydrothermal vents
  3. C
    provide a detailed list of the diverse organisms that populate the deep ocean floor's ecosystems
  4. D
    transition the passage from a historical overview of biology to a debate about the efficiency of solar energy

Answer

The primary rhetorical function of the final sentence is to highlight the broader significance of the discovery by explaining how it shifted a fundamental scientific paradigm.
The correct answer correctly identifies the rhetorical function of the final sentence: to elevate the discussion from a local description of deep-sea vents to their global impact on scientific belief. By stating that the discovery 'challenged the long-held assumption' regarding solar energy, the author underlines how the discovery changed a foundational scientific paradigm.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target sentence in the context of the passage.
The target sentence states that the discovery of hydrothermal vents did more than add a new habitat; it challenged the assumption that all complex life relies on solar energy.
Understanding what the sentence literally says is the first step to identifying its function.
2
Determine how this sentence relates to the rest of the passage.
The passage first establishes the old consensus (deep sea is a wasteland), describes the discovery that shattered it (hydrothermal vents and chemosynthesis), and then concludes with the target sentence, which summarizes the theoretical impact of this discovery.
Rhetorical function is defined by how a sentence interacts with and contributes to the surrounding argument or narrative.
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that matches the sentence's role of explaining the discovery's theoretical impact.
The option emphasizing the broader significance of the discovery and the shift in a fundamental scientific paradigm accurately captures this role.
This matches the rhetorical goal of the sentence, which goes beyond describing the details to showing their larger scientific meaning.

Key Concept

Identifying the rhetorical role or purpose of a specific sentence within a passage's argument structure.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Rhetorical Functions of Sentences and Paragraphs

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