Question

Difficulty: EasyInferring Author Purpose and Intent

Read the following passage:

Passenger aircraft are equipped with emergency oxygen systems that deploy masks automatically during a sudden loss of cabin pressure. Instead of relying on bulky, high-pressure gas cylinders that add significant weight to the airframe, these systems utilize compact chemical oxygen generators. When a passenger pulls down on the mask, a firing pin initiates an exothermic reaction between sodium chlorate and iron powder, rapidly generating breathable oxygen for roughly fifteen minutes. This window provides the flight crew with adequate time to descend to an altitude where passengers can breathe normally without supplemental systems.

Statement: The author wrote this passage primarily to explain how chemical oxygen generators operate to provide emergency life support on aircraft.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True
The statement is true because the passage provides an objective, step-by-step description of how chemical oxygen generators function to supply emergency oxygen aboard aircraft.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary topic and central details in the passage.
The passage introduces aircraft emergency oxygen systems and details how chemical oxygen generators function when activated.
Summarizing the core content helps establish the author's underlying reason for writing.
2
Determine the author's tone and rhetorical function.
The author uses an objective, informative approach to explain the mechanical and chemical process behind the equipment.
Rhetorical function indicates whether the author intends to inform, persuade, entertain, or describe.
3
Compare the evaluated statement with the identified purpose of the text.
The statement correctly identifies the author's primary communicative goal as explaining how the oxygen generators work.
Since the statement matches the objective of the text, the correct evaluation is True.

Key Concept

Inferring Author Purpose and Intent
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