Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumSupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

Passage:
In the 1840s, British botanist Anna Atkins pioneered the use of photography for scientific illustration. Seeking a more accurate way to document botanical specimens than hand-drawn illustrations, Atkins turned to the newly invented cyanotype process. This method involved placing specimens directly onto chemically treated paper and exposing them to sunlight. The resulting images were highly detailed, [offering a level of precision that traditional drawings could not match].

Question:
The writer wants to revise the underlined portion (bracketed in bold above) to provide the most specific, concrete visual details that illustrate the appearance of the cyanotype images. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

  1. A
    offering a level of precision that traditional drawings could not match
  2. B
    being beautiful, clear blue images; which were highly acclaimed by her contemporary scientists.
  3. displaying Prussian blue backgrounds with the white, ghostlike silhouettes of delicate, lace-like seaweed fronds.Answer
  4. D
    depicting the plants' structures in a very clear way, and the book becomes a landmark in the history of science.

Answer

The correct option is the one that describes the Prussian blue backgrounds and the white, ghostlike silhouettes of delicate, lace-like seaweed fronds.
The option describing 'Prussian blue backgrounds with the white, ghostlike silhouettes of delicate, lace-like seaweed fronds' is the correct choice. It provides specific, sensory descriptors ('Prussian blue', 'white', 'ghostlike', 'lace-like') that paint a clear picture of the cyanotype images for the reader, satisfying the rhetorical goal without introducing grammatical errors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the rhetorical goal specified in the question.
The goal is to find the option that provides the most specific and concrete visual details to illustrate the appearance of the images.
This establishes the criteria for evaluating the choices.
2
Evaluate the choices based on the level of concrete visual detail they provide.
The option describing 'Prussian blue backgrounds' and 'white, ghostlike silhouettes of delicate, lace-like seaweed fronds' contains the most vivid and specific sensory details. The other options use vague and abstract terms like 'level of precision,' 'beautiful, clear,' and 'very clear way.'
Specific details show rather than tell, allowing the reader to visualize the subject.
3
Check the grammatically correct options to ensure the selected choice does not introduce errors.
The option with the semicolon introduces a sentence fragment error. The option with the phrase 'and the book becomes' introduces an illogical shift to the present tense. The option with the Prussian blue description is grammatically sound.
An option must be both rhetorically effective and grammatically correct to be the right answer on the ACT.

Key Concept

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details
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Topics

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details

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