During the monsoon season, the steps of the *baoli* (a traditional Indian stepwell) would be submerged, but as the water level receded during dry months, more levels of the structure were revealed. This seasonal rise and fall made the stepwell a dynamic monument, constantly shifting in appearance. In addition to water storage, the stepwells served as cooling chambers; temperatures at the bottom of the descent could be up to six degrees Celsius cooler than at the surface. Modern mechanical cooling systems, which were invented in the early twentieth century, operate on a different thermodynamic principle entirely. This subterranean drop in temperature made the lower ledges of the wells popular gathering spots where local communities could escape the midday heat.
The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the writer make this deletion?
- AKeep it, because it transitions the passage from a historical description of stepwells to a discussion of modern engineering.
- Delete it, because it introduces a digression about modern cooling systems that deviates from the paragraph's focus on the stepwells' design and social functions.Answer
- CKeep it, because it provides necessary scientific context that helps explain why the stepwells were cooler than the surface.
- DDelete it, because it contradicts the paragraph's main claim that stepwells were effective cooling chambers.