Question

Difficulty: HardSupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

[1] To protect themselves from predators, members of the glass frog family (Centrolenidae) rely on a unique form of camouflage known as translucency. [2] While many animals use solid colors to blend in with their environments, these frogs possess gelatinous, see-through skin on their limbs and undersides. [3] When perched on a leaf, the frog's body becomes less noticeable. [4] This effect, researchers have discovered, makes it difficult for hunting birds and wasps to detect the frogs under natural lighting conditions.

The writer wants to revise sentence 3 (reproduced below) to provide the most specific, concrete visual detail that illustrates how the frog's translucency functions as camouflage.

*When perched on a leaf, the frog's body becomes less noticeable.*

Which of the following versions of the sentence best achieves this goal?

  1. When resting on a leaf, the frog’s limbs diffuse light and mirror the exact green hue of the foliage below, blurring the sharp outline of its body.Answer
  2. B
    When perched on a leaf, the frog's translucent tissue allows it to blend in with its surrounding environment to escape the notice of various rainforest predators.
  3. C
    Perched on a leaf, researchers found that the frog is less noticeable because the light passes through it.
  4. D
    When perched on a leaf; the frog's translucent limbs and body edges adjust their brightness to match the foliage.

Answer

When resting on a leaf, the frog’s limbs diffuse light and mirror the exact green hue of the foliage below, blurring the sharp outline of its body.
The correct answer is the version of the sentence that states that the limbs diffuse light, mirror the exact green hue of the foliage below, and blur the sharp outline of the body. This option directly satisfies the rhetorical goal by providing specific, sensory details (such as diffusing light and mirroring the green hue) that explain and illustrate exactly how the frog's translucent body becomes less noticeable and functions as camouflage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the specific rhetorical goal specified in the prompt.
The goal is to find the revision of sentence 3 that provides the most specific, concrete visual detail of how the frog's translucency works as camouflage.
Understanding the precise requirement ensures that the selected choice is judged on descriptive quality, not just general grammatical correctness.
2
Analyze each option for grammatical correctness, eliminating incorrect structures.
One option contains an introductory dangling modifier, and another incorrect option contains a semicolon error separating a dependent clause. This leaves two grammatically sound options.
ACT English questions require sentences to be free of grammatical errors first before evaluating their rhetorical efficacy.
3
Compare the remaining grammatically correct options based on their level of visual detail.
The option describing light diffusion, mirroring the leaf's green hue, and blurring the body's outline uses highly specific, concrete sensory terms. The alternative option uses abstract, generalized language.
Choosing the option with precise visual descriptions satisfies the rhetorical goal of providing specific, concrete detail.

Key Concept

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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