7.3 Rdg. Claims and Evidence

1. In the middle of the third paragraph, the author sets off the phrase “surely a product of coastal erosion and the grinding of surf” with em dashes primarily to

• A. insert a definition into her discussion of geological processes

• B. note why the location of the sand deposits is considered unusual

• C. counterbalance her use of interrogation marks in the following sentences

• D. admit that modern theories about the movement of tides explain the location of sand deposits

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

2. In the sentence in the middle of the fourth paragraph (“Instead of . . . and eddies”), the author’s arrangement of clauses emphasizes

• A. the author’s sense that former theories of the Gulf Stream’s flow were based on unimaginative interpretations of data

• B. the author’s contention that the ocean is a dynamic, complex system

• C. that the ocean should be viewed poetically as well as scientifically

• D. that the ocean’s movement is too complex to be adequately described by the current state of science

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

3. At the end of the fourth paragraph (“And below the surface . . . scour marks”), the author strategically arranges sentences in a way that

• A. reflects the repetitive cycles of scientific theories about the ocean

• B. defends the contributions of scientists who rely on photography

• C. concedes that scientific knowledge about the ocean is incomplete

• D. emphasizes the mounting evidence for the complexity of the ocean’s currents

4. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the author repeats the word “presumably” in order to

• A. portray the difficulty of assessing the moral quality of a nation’s actions

• B. remind the audience that they cannot be sure they understand people’s motivations

• C. undermine a view that he will go on to dispute in his argument

• D. emphasize the vast power imbalance between those fighting in the described conflicts

5. In the second sentence of the second paragraph, the author uses an em dash to set off a list that

• A. warns his audience against feeling complacent about past struggles

• B. indicates the extent of his personal engagement with various civil rights struggles around the world

• C. stimulates the audience’s sympathy by referencing groups with whose struggles they are likely familiar

• D. encourage his audience to join a political movement by enumerating issues likely to engage their interest

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

6. By starting three successive sentences with “If” clauses in the last paragraph (“If we see only the worst . . . some grand utopian future”), the author primarily emphasizes that

• A. the ultimate triumph of justice is inevitable

• B. the audience has the power to shape the future

• C. at least two possibilities exist in even the most constrained circumstances

• D. the consequences of human actions are always somewhat arbitrary