Question

Difficulty: EasySupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

The following sentences are from a draft of an essay about forest ecology. To ensure that the paragraph logically builds its claim that trees support one another through fungal networks, in what order should the sentences be placed?

  1. 1Forest trees are connected underground by an extensive network of fungal threads called mycelium.
  2. 2This subterranean network, often referred to as the "Wood Wide Web," links the roots of different trees together.
  3. 3Through these fungal pathways, mature trees share essential resources, such as carbon and water, with struggling seedlings.
  4. 4As a result of this nutrient sharing, young trees are able to survive in the dark forest understory.

Answer

The sentences should be ordered to introduce the network first, describe its function next, provide evidence of resource sharing third, and state the survival outcome last.
The paragraph starts with the opening claim that introduces the mycelium network. It then proceeds logically to describe how the network links roots, explains the action of resource sharing through these pathways, and finishes with the final result of this sharing on the survival of young trees.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the introductory claim.
The sentence introducing the mycelium network is the first sentence.
It introduces the topic of the paragraph without requiring prior context.
2
Find the description of the network.
The sentence describing the 'Wood Wide Web' is the second sentence.
The phrase 'This subterranean network' refers directly back to the mycelium network introduced in the first sentence.
3
Identify the sentence providing supporting evidence.
The sentence explaining how mature trees share carbon and water with seedlings is the third sentence.
It explains the resource-sharing function of the newly described pathways.
4
Identify the consequence of the evidence.
The sentence detailing how young trees survive in the dark forest understory is the fourth sentence.
It uses the phrase 'As a result of this nutrient sharing' to show the outcome of the resource sharing established in the third sentence.

Key Concept

Supporting claims with evidence and logical sequence
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