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Difficulty: MediumPart-to-Whole Rhetorical Function

Ancient Maya cities, such as Tikal, relied on sophisticated reservoir systems to survive the region's intense seasonal droughts. Traditionally, archaeologists viewed these reservoirs purely as passive holding basins designed to store rainwater during the wet season. However, researcher Lisa Lucero and her colleagues have recently argued that the Maya actively maintained these reservoirs as self-cleaning aquatic ecosystems. By introducing aquatic plants like water lilies and cattails, the Maya could naturally filter out nitrogen and phosphorus, preventing harmful algal blooms. Consequently, these reservoirs functioned not just as simple cisterns, but as complex, biologically managed wetlands that secured clean water for thousands of urban inhabitants.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

  1. A
    It states the primary conclusion of the passage regarding the overall sustainability of ancient Maya urban centers.
  2. B
    It describes the specific biological mechanism used by aquatic plants to filter chemicals from the water.
  3. It introduces an alternative perspective that challenges a conventional understanding of how Mayan reservoirs operated.Answer
  4. D
    It presents evidence demonstrating that Mayan reservoirs were more efficient than those of other ancient civilizations.

Answer

The underlined sentence introduces an alternative perspective that challenges a conventional understanding of how Mayan reservoirs operated.
The correct answer is the option stating that the sentence introduces an alternative perspective challenging a conventional understanding. The passage begins by presenting the traditional view of archaeologists, who regarded Mayan reservoirs as simple 'passive holding basins.' The underlined sentence, beginning with the transition 'However,' presents Lisa Lucero's contrasting argument that the reservoirs were actively maintained as self-cleaning ecosystems. This directly challenges the conventional view established in the second sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context preceding the underlined sentence.
The text states that archaeologists traditionally viewed Mayan reservoirs as 'passive holding basins.'
This establishes the conventional belief/understanding that the new research will address.
2
Analyze the underlined sentence itself.
The underlined sentence introduces a new argument by Lisa Lucero that the reservoirs were 'actively maintained... as self-cleaning aquatic ecosystems.'
This shows a direct contrast ('However') and proposes a different function (active vs. passive) for the reservoirs.
3
Analyze the sentences following the underlined sentence.
The rest of the passage describes how this active system functioned (using plants to filter nitrogen) and concludes that they were complex wetlands.
This confirms that the underlined sentence functions as the introduction to the new hypothesis/perspective detailed in the rest of the text.

Key Concept

Identifying the rhetorical function of a specific sentence within a passage, particularly how it transitions from a traditional view to a new research hypothesis.
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Topics

Part-to-Whole Rhetorical Function

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