Match each of the following unseen prose excerpts with the central theme it predominantly expresses.
- For forty years, Old Nathan had polished the brass lamps of the harbor lighthouse every evening, guiding ships safely through treacherous tides. But tonight, a sleek automated beacon flashed silently from a metal tower nearby, controlled by distant microprocessors. As the old man lowered his cloth, he realized his lifelong vigil was no longer needed by the modern world.The displacement of traditional human labor by modern technological innovation
- Even as food prices doubled and neighboring vendors began tampering with their measuring tins to maximize gain, Mama Bisi refused to alter her scales. When questioned by her peers about her lack of business pragmatism during hard times, she simply smiled and insisted that a clean conscience was worth far more than dishonest profit.The steadfast maintenance of moral integrity amidst economic pressure
- Returning to her ancestral village after two decades abroad, Amina searched in vain for the dense mahogany woodland where she had gathered wild berries as a child. In its place stood concrete residential towers, paved parking lots, and humming electrical generators, leaving no trace of the verdant landscape of her youth.The irreversible loss of natural environmental heritage to urban expansion
- The young woodcarver spent weeks painstakingly restoring the intricate geometric patterns of the sacred clan mask, rejecting lucrative offers from tourist art dealers who wanted to buy it. Despite pressure from relatives to monetize the artifact, he returned the restored piece to the community shrine where it belonged.The preservation of cultural legacy over commercial gain
Answer
Each unseen prose excerpt matches its corresponding central theme based on key narrative focus: Excerpt 1 matches the displacement of traditional labor by technology; Excerpt 2 matches moral integrity during economic hardship; Excerpt 3 matches environmental destruction from urbanization; Excerpt 4 matches preserving cultural legacy over commercial gain.
Each excerpt contains specific clues pointing to its central theme: the automated beacon replaces human labor (Excerpt 1); refusing to alter scales highlights moral integrity (Excerpt 2); replacing forests with concrete shows urban loss of nature (Excerpt 3); and keeping the sacred mask in the shrine demonstrates valuing cultural heritage over commercial profit (Excerpt 4).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying themes and central ideas in prose passages