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Difficulty: MediumPart-to-Whole Rhetorical Function

For decades, historians assumed that medieval European painters obtained ultramarine pigment, derived from lapis lazuli, exclusively through arduous trade routes terminating in Central Asia. However, a recent chemical analysis of a tenth-century monastic manuscript revealed trace impurities of cobalt and copper that are characteristic of mineral deposits in northern Europe. This finding suggests that regional monasteries may have engaged in local, small-scale mining operations rather than relying entirely on distant imports. Consequently, scholars are now re-evaluating the degree of economic self-sufficiency maintained by early medieval religious centers.

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

  1. It introduces scientific findings that challenge a prevailing assumption about the source of a medieval artistic material.Answer
  2. B
    It summarizes the passage's main conclusion regarding the economic self-sufficiency of early medieval religious centers.
  3. C
    It describes the specific chemical process that monks used to refine imported ultramarine pigment.
  4. D
    It proves that Central Asian merchants deliberately adulterated lapis lazuli before exporting it to Europe.

Answer

It introduces scientific findings that challenge a prevailing assumption about the source of a medieval artistic material.
The correct option accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence. The passage starts by noting that historians assumed ultramarine came exclusively from Central Asia. The underlined sentence introduces chemical analysis showing northern European impurities, which serves as the evidence challenging that initial assumption.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary claim or assumption introduced at the beginning of the passage.
The first sentence establishes the traditional assumption: medieval artists obtained ultramarine exclusively from Central Asia.
Understanding the context of the assumption is necessary to determine how the underlined sentence interacts with it.
2
Analyze the content and function of the underlined sentence.
The underlined sentence states that a chemical analysis of a tenth-century manuscript found trace impurities pointing to northern European mineral deposits.
This step determines the specific evidence introduced and how it directly opposes the exclusive Central Asian origin assumption.
3
Evaluate how this sentence relates to the subsequent sentences.
The subsequent sentences explain the implications of this finding (local mining and re-evaluation of economic self-sufficiency). The underlined sentence functions as the pivotal evidence that initiates this re-evaluation.
Analyzing the part-to-whole relationship shows that the sentence acts as the counter-evidence to the opening assumption rather than stating the final conclusion.

Key Concept

Part-to-Whole Rhetorical Function
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Part-to-Whole Rhetorical Function

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