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Question

Difficulty: MediumTone Consistency

In 132 CE, the Chinese inventor Zhang Heng introduced the world's first seismoscope, a device designed to register earthquakes from afar. The bronze vessel featured eight dragons holding bronze balls in their mouths, ready to release them into the open mouths of waiting frogs below. When an earthquake occurred, the internal pendulum would swing and tell a dragon to drop a ball, indicating the direction of the seismic activity. Which choice best maintains the established tone of the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. release a ball from the mouth of the corresponding dragonAnswer
  3. C
    precipitate the departure of a bronze sphere from the jaws of the respective dragon
  4. D
    release a ball from the mouth at the corresponding dragon

Answer

The correct answer is the option that states 'release a ball from the mouth of the corresponding dragon', as it maintains a formal and objective tone consistent with the rest of the historical passage.
The passage establishes a formal, objective, and informative tone. The option that describes the action as 'release a ball from the mouth of the corresponding dragon' maintains this precise, objective tone. It fits grammatically with 'would swing and...' and uses appropriate vocabulary without being overly colloquial or unnecessarily pretentious.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the established tone of the passage.
The surrounding sentences use objective, informative, and academic language ('register earthquakes', 'bronze vessel', 'seismic activity') suitable for a historical description.
Identifying the target tone provides a benchmark for evaluating the options.
2
Evaluate the underlined phrase 'tell a dragon to drop a ball'.
The phrase is conversational and personifies the mechanical device, which is inconsistent with the academic tone.
This confirms that a change is necessary.
3
Assess the alternative options against the target tone.
The option referring to 'releasing a ball from the mouth' is objective and precise. The option using 'precipitate the departure' is overly elevated and wordy, while the option using 'mouth at' contains a grammatical error.
Comparing options helps select the one that is grammatically correct and consistent in tone.

Key Concept

Tone Consistency
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Topics

Tone Consistency

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