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Zorluk: OrtaDetermining Author's Primary Purpose

For over a century, the dots and dashes of the telegraphic code that revolutionized global communication were attributed almost exclusively to Samuel Morse. However, historical records suggest that Morse’s assistant, Alfred Vail, played a far more instrumental role in refining the system than is commonly recognized. While Morse conceived the initial, cumbersome idea of using a dictionary to translate numbers into words, it was Vail who realized that individual letters should be represented by shorter or longer signals based on their frequency of use in the English language.

To determine this frequency, Vail visited a local printing shop and counted the quantities of type kept in the compositors' cases. Finding that 'e' was the most abundant letter and 'q' one of the least, he designed the code accordingly: the most frequent letters received the simplest, briefest signals (such as a single dot for 'e'), thereby maximizing transmission speed and minimizing errors. Despite Vail's crucial contribution, the system was patented under Morse’s name, and Vail’s role was largely relegated to the margins of history. Today, historians of technology increasingly point to Vail's work not to diminish Morse's legacy, but to restore a necessary complexity to the narrative of technological innovation, illustrating that breakthroughs are rarely the product of a single, isolated genius.

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the passage?

  1. A
    argue that Samuel Morse took credit for inventions he did not understand and should not be credited with the telegraph.
  2. B
    explain how Alfred Vail counted letter frequencies in a local print shop to optimize telegraphic transmissions.
  3. highlight Alfred Vail’s crucial contribution to the telegraphic code in order to present a more accurate history of technological innovation.Cevap
  4. D
    document the sequence of legal and patent disputes between Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail in the nineteenth century.

Cevap

The correct answer is to highlight Alfred Vail’s crucial contribution to the telegraphic code in order to present a more accurate history of technological innovation.
The correct answer focuses on highlighting Vail's key role in developing the telegraphic code. The passage's final lines make it clear that discussing Vail serves to illustrate a broader lesson about the history of technology—namely, that invention is a collaborative, complex process rather than the work of one individual.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Analyze the passage to identify the central focus and main thesis.
The author discusses how Alfred Vail designed the frequency-based signal system for the telegraph, which is widely attributed to Samuel Morse, and uses this example to argue that innovation is collaborative rather than the work of an isolated genius.
Understanding the overall theme and thesis is key to finding the author's primary purpose.
2
Compare each option to the identified thesis to see which matches the overall objective.
The option highlighting Vail's contribution to provide a more accurate narrative of innovation directly aligns with the main point.
This distinguishes the primary message from narrow supporting details or unsupported claims.
3
Rule out options that represent minor details, overbroad claims, or inaccurate details.
Counting letters is a minor detail; claims about Morse not understanding the invention are overbroad and inaccurate; and legal disputes are not discussed in the text.
Elimination ensures that distractors containing common reading traps are discarded.

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