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Question

Difficulty: Very hardWriter's Purpose, Tone, Mood, and Attitude

Read the passage below carefully:

"The recent surge in commercial deep-sea salvage projects under the guise of archaeological conservation is nothing short of a sophisticated plunder of our shared human heritage. While private enterprise boasts of rescuing artifacts from the crushing depths, their ledger-driven priorities dictate that only items with immediate auction value are restored, leaving fragile contextual evidence shattered on the seabed. To glorify these plunderers as custodians of history is to confuse mercenary exploitation with scholarship. True maritime archaeology does not measure success in carats or catalog estimates, but in the meticulous preservation of historical context—a principle utterly alien to those who view the ocean floor merely as an underwater vault."

Which of the following best describes the writer's attitude toward commercial deep-sea salvagers?

  1. Indignant and reproving of their profit-driven destruction of historical contextAnswer
  2. B
    Dejected and helpless regarding the inevitable loss of underwater seabed artifacts
  3. C
    Ambivalent, balancing praise for their technical achievements with ethical concerns
  4. D
    Commendatory toward their ability to retrieve high-value historical treasures from ocean depths

Answer

The writer's attitude is indignant and reproving of the commercial salvagers' profit-driven destruction of historical context.
The correct answer accurately reflects the author's biting, critical stance. By using strong derogatory descriptors such as 'plunder', 'mercenary exploitation', and 'plunderers', the writer expresses sharp indignation and censure toward commercial deep-sea salvagers who destroy contextual evidence for profit.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze key lexical choices and loaded language in the passage
Identified terms such as 'sophisticated plunder', 'mercenary exploitation', 'plunderers', and 'utterly alien'.
Word choice exposes the author's stance toward the subject.
2
Evaluate the author's primary argument and core distinction
The author contrasts genuine maritime scholarship (meticulous context preservation) with commercial salvage (auction-value extraction).
Understanding the central contrast reveals whether the author is supportive, neutral, or critical.
3
Synthesize the findings into an overall descriptor of attitude
The strong, censorious language demonstrates deep anger and condemnation (indignance and reproof) rather than despair or balanced praise.
Matching the textual evidence directly to precise tone vocabulary confirms the correct answer choice.

Key Concept

Identifying Writer's Tone and Attitude in Persuasive Text
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Topics

Writer's Purpose, Tone, Mood, and Attitude

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