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Difficulty: EasyRecognizing Implied Cause and Effect

A carpenter applied a thick layer of oil-based varnish to a custom oak tabletop inside a small, windowless workshop. He immediately closed and locked the exterior door behind him, leaving no fans running. When he returned twelve hours later to apply a second coat, the surface was still sticky and soft to the touch.

Based on the passage, what caused the varnish on the tabletop to remain sticky?

  1. A
    The carpenter locked the exterior door upon leaving.
  2. The lack of air circulation prevented the finish from drying.Answer
  3. C
    The oak wood was defective and could not absorb the liquid.
  4. D
    Waiting twelve hours caused the workshop to lose its ventilation.

Answer

The lack of air circulation prevented the finish from drying.
The passage sets up a scenario where a room is windowless, closed, and has no active fans. These details directly imply that the absence of circulating air impeded the natural drying process of the varnish.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the stated outcome in the passage.
The tabletop remained sticky and uncured after twelve hours.
Establishing the effect is necessary before deducing its underlying cause.
2
Examine the environmental conditions preceding the outcome.
The room had no windows, closed doors, and no fans operating.
These contextual clues describe a stagnant environment with no airflow.
3
Connect the environmental conditions to the physical outcome.
Without air circulation to facilitate evaporation and curing, the varnish could not dry properly.
Recognizing the logical cause-and-effect relationship resolves the question without relying on explicit transition words.

Key Concept

Recognizing Implied Cause and Effect
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Recognizing Implied Cause and Effect

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