Passage Excerpt:
For years, scientists believed the ocean floor was a flat, featureless plain. In the 1950s, geologist Marie Tharp began analyzing echo-sounder profiles of the Atlantic Ocean, meticulously plotting depth measurements by hand. Her work revealed a massive, continuous underwater mountain range, now known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which provided crucial evidence for the theory of continental drift. Although her male colleagues initially dismissed her findings as 'girl talk,' Tharp persisted in her research, [underlined portion].
The writer wants to add a phrase in the underlined portion that emphasizes the painstaking and time-consuming nature of Tharp's mapping process. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
- spending years hand-drawing thousands of individual depth soundings onto large paper sheets.Answer
- Bwhich eventually convinced the scientific community that tectonic plates were indeed moving.
- Can achievement that brought her significant recognition and awards later in her career.
- Dshe worked late into the night, the project took several years to complete.
Answer
The correct choice is the option that describes spending years hand-drawing thousands of individual depth soundings onto large paper sheets, as it directly emphasizes the time-consuming and painstaking nature of the mapping process.
The phrase describing the hand-drawing of thousands of soundings over several years directly addresses the rhetorical goal by illustrating both the painstaking and time-consuming nature of the mapping process. The action of drawing by hand shows the meticulousness, and the mention of years highlights the duration of the effort.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Meeting Specific Rhetorical Goals