In the mid-twentieth century, the modern conservation movement was revolutionized by the introduction of the wilderness concept. Proponents of this philosophy argued that certain natural areas should be set aside and completely protected from human development. This marked a significant departure from earlier conservation efforts, which had focused primarily on the sustainable extraction of resources like timber and minerals. The U.S. Congress formalized this new approach by passing the Wilderness Act of 1964, which legally defined wilderness as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man." Some early drafts of the legislation were composed on manual typewriters in crowded congressional offices. Today, this landmark act protects over one hundred million acres of public land, ensuring that these ecosystems remain undisturbed for future generations.
The writer is considering deleting the sentence "Some early drafts of the legislation were composed on manual typewriters in crowded congressional offices" from the paragraph. Should this sentence be deleted?
- Yes, because it interrupts the paragraph's discussion of the Wilderness Act's legislative significance with an irrelevant detail about the physical drafting of the bill.Answer
- BYes, because it introduces a historical detail that contradicts the assertion that the act was formalized by the U.S. Congress.
- CNo, because it provides essential historical context that explains why the Wilderness Act of 1964 was difficult to pass.
- DNo, because it supports the paragraph's central focus on the physical workspaces of mid-twentieth-century environmental policymakers.