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Rhetorical Purpose Question
Добро пожаловать в Rhetorical Purpose Question
In this lesson, you will learn how to answer Rhetorical Purpose questions in the TOEFL Reading section. Rhetorical Purpose questions ask why the author includes a specific sentence, phrase, or example in the passage. Rather than focusing on what the sentence means, you need to understand its function or role within the paragraph—such as giving an example, explaining a reason, providing evidence, or contrasting ideas.
To answer this type of question, consider how the sentence or detail supports the author’s overall point or argument. In other words, ask yourself: *What purpose does this part serve in the paragraph or passage?*
To answer this type of question, consider how the sentence or detail supports the author’s overall point or argument. In other words, ask yourself: *What purpose does this part serve in the paragraph or passage?*
Lesson Introduction
Часть 1
Rhetorical Purpose questions ask why the author includes a particular detail, phrase, or sentence.
Rhetorical Purpose questions ask why the author includes a specific example, sentence, or piece of information. To answer correctly, you must understand how that detail supports the main idea or purpose of the passage. These questions test your ability to recognize the author’s reasoning — not just what the text says, but why it says it.
Strategy:
- Find the detail or phrase mentioned in the question. Locate the exact sentence or part of the text the question refers to. Reread only that section and one or two sentences before it to understand the context.
- Ask, “What is this detail doing here?” Is it giving an example? Explaining a reason? Supporting a point? Contrasting ideas? This is the core question — it helps you think like the writer and see the purpose quickly.
- Connect it to the main idea of the paragraph or passage. Authors include details to make a bigger point. Think about how this detail helps explain, prove, or show something about the main idea. This step ensures your answer fits the author’s goal, not just the sentence meaning.
- Look for signal words or transitions. Words like “for example,” “however,” “because,” or “therefore” tell you whether the author is illustrating, contrasting, or explaining. These clues guide you to the purpose fast.
- Eliminate wrong choices logically.
- ❌ Too literal — repeats what the sentence says without explaining why it’s there.
- ❌ Off-topic — gives a reason unrelated to the main idea.
- ❌ Adds new information not found in the text.
- ❌ Describes a purpose that doesn’t fit the author’s tone or goal.
Daily Life example (Advertisement):
Looking for a smoother way to start your morning? Sunrise Brew introduces its new cold-pressed coffee, crafted from 100% Arabica beans and steeped for twelve hours to bring out a naturally sweet flavor. Unlike traditional brewing methods, our process eliminates the need for added sugar, letting you enjoy the pure taste of coffee as nature intended. Try our new bottled blends available in grocery stores and local cafés starting this weekend, and discover what “slow brewed, fast enjoyed” really means.
Why does the advertisement mention that the coffee is steeped for twelve hours?
- To highlight the long preparation time as a luxury feature
- To explain why the product has a naturally sweet flavor without added sugar
- To warn customers that the coffee takes longer to prepare than other brands
- To emphasize the careful brewing process that creates a unique taste
Detailed Explanation:
The phrase “steeped for twelve hours” is a detail that describes the coffee-making process. The author includes it to emphasize the care and quality behind the product, not to warn or explain a problem. When we read the next sentence — “Unlike traditional brewing methods, our process eliminates the need for added sugar” — we see that the long brewing time creates the natural sweetness and unique flavor. Therefore, the purpose of mentioning the twelve-hour process is to show how the company’s careful method makes the coffee taste better and more natural.
- (A) “Luxury feature” is incorrect — the ad focuses on flavor and natural quality, not luxury.
- (B) is close, but it explains the result, not the purpose — the main purpose is to emphasize process, not sugar reduction.
- (C) “Warn customers” is opposite — there is no warning tone.
The correct answer is (D) because it matches the author’s purpose: to emphasize the careful brewing process that makes the coffee unique.
Academic Passage example:
Ocean currents act as massive conveyor belts, transporting heat, nutrients, and dissolved gases around the globe. Warm surface waters move from the equator toward the poles, while cold, dense water sinks and travels back toward the equator at deeper levels. These constant movements help regulate Earth’s climate by balancing temperature differences between regions.
One striking example is the Gulf Stream, which carries warm water from the Caribbean to the North Atlantic. Scientists often describe it as the reason northern Europe enjoys relatively mild winters despite its high latitude. However, this same current can also influence storm intensity and rainfall patterns along coastal areas. Researchers include this example in studies of climate regulation to show how local weather is tied to global ocean circulation.
In recent years, concerns have arisen that melting ice from Greenland could disrupt the Gulf Stream by diluting salt levels in the North Atlantic. Such a slowdown would have major consequences for regional climates, marine ecosystems, and even global trade routes dependent on predictable weather. Understanding these patterns helps climatologists model how future warming might reshape the planet’s natural systems.
Why does the passage mention the Gulf Stream in the second paragraph?
- To illustrate how ocean circulation affects regional climates
- To describe an exception to global current patterns
- To introduce a newly discovered oceanic phenomenon
- To contrast ocean currents with atmospheric systems
Detailed Explanation:
The question asks why the author includes the example of the Gulf Stream. To find the purpose, look at how the paragraph uses this example. It says: “Scientists often describe it as the reason northern Europe enjoys relatively mild winters...” followed by “Researchers include this example... to show how local weather is tied to global ocean circulation.” These phrases clearly explain the purpose: the author uses the Gulf Stream to illustrate how one specific current demonstrates the larger idea — that ocean movement affects regional climates.
- (B) “Exception” is wrong — the Gulf Stream is not an exception but a typical example.
- (C) “Newly discovered” is incorrect — the Gulf Stream is well known.
- (D) “Contrast with atmosphere” is never mentioned.
The correct answer is (A) because the author includes the Gulf Stream to illustrate how ocean circulation influences climate — supporting the main idea of climate regulation through currents.
Tips to Remember:
- Rhetorical Purpose questions ask why a detail is included, not what it says.
- Always connect the detail to the main idea of the paragraph or passage.
- Use signal words like “for example,” “because,” or “however” to understand the author’s intent.
- Eliminate choices that simply repeat the detail or give unrelated reasons.
- Think: “This detail is here to explain, illustrate, contrast, or support.” That mindset helps you answer fast and correctly.
This is the final section of the lesson. I'm ready to start the review exercises!
Review Exercise (1/13)
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
Maybe the explanation is found in ideas brought up by Jean Piaget, a famous and influential psychologist. Piaget said that children under the age of two years absorb events in a different way that older children do. According to him, the verbal capabilities that evolve in a two-year-old child allow events to be coded in a way that is completely different from the action-based codes of a younger child. The verbal abilities of a one-year-old are connected with memories of an event. When scientists asked children of this age to imitate an action after seeing it the year before, there was a correlation between the verbal skills of the child at the time they saw this event and their ability in the memory task later on. Children with weaker verbal skills also showed an ability to remember the event. Therefore, memories might be supported but are not dependent on verbal skills.
Why does the author provide the information that children with low verbal skills showed evidence of remembering a past event?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((A))".
clear Почти. ((A)) - правильный ответ.
(A) The correct answer is to provide evidence that memories do not depend only upon verbal skills. The author explains that even children with weaker verbal abilities could still remember an event, which supports the point that verbal skills may help memory but are not required for it.
(B) 'To challenge the idea that one year olds are too young to form memories' is incorrect because the passage does not argue about whether one-year-olds can form memories in general; it focuses on what supports those memories.
(C) 'To argue that the memory of one year olds depends only on action-based codes' is incorrect because the author concludes the opposite: memories are supported by verbal skills but not dependent on them.
(D) 'To suggest that Piaget later revised his findings on the correlation between memory and verbal ability' is incorrect because the passage never mentions Piaget changing his views or revising his findings.
(B) 'To challenge the idea that one year olds are too young to form memories' is incorrect because the passage does not argue about whether one-year-olds can form memories in general; it focuses on what supports those memories.
(C) 'To argue that the memory of one year olds depends only on action-based codes' is incorrect because the author concludes the opposite: memories are supported by verbal skills but not dependent on them.
(D) 'To suggest that Piaget later revised his findings on the correlation between memory and verbal ability' is incorrect because the passage never mentions Piaget changing his views or revising his findings.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
The samples of pollen from Syrian freshwater lakes indicate that forest cover increased quickly at the end of the Ice Age, because the climate in south-western Asian was still cooler and much wetter than today. Several regions were richer in species of flora and fauna than they are now, making them attractive for human occupation. By 9000 B.C., most human settlements were located in the Zagros Mountains of Iran and their foothills and along the Mediterranean coast. Certain local regions, such as the valley of the Jordan River, the middle Euphrates valley, and certain Zagros valleys were more heavily populated than elsewhere. More cultivated and sedentary societies developed here. The population exploited the land, hunting on the mountain slopes for nuts and wild cereal grasses and hunting game such as gazelle in the river valleys and grassy lowlands. Their settlements contain exotic objects such as seashells, stone bowls, and artefacts made of obsidian (volcanic glass), all traded from distant regions. This large volume of intercommunity exchange added an element of social complexity.
Why does the author refer seashells, stone bowls, and artefacts made of obsidian?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((A))".
clear Почти. ((A)) - правильный ответ.
(A) The correct answer is to give examples of objects obtained through trade with other societies. The author lists seashells, stone bowls, and obsidian artifacts as “exotic objects” that were “traded from distant regions,” showing they are examples of goods acquired through intercommunity exchange.
(B) 'To illustrate the kinds of objects that are preserved in a cool climate' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss preservation conditions; it discusses exchange and social complexity.
(C) 'To provide evidence that the organization of work was specialized' is incorrect because the passage does not mention specialized labor or roles; it emphasizes trade networks.
(D) 'To give examples of the artistic ability of local populations' is incorrect because the objects are used to show they came from distant regions, not to evaluate artistic skill.
(B) 'To illustrate the kinds of objects that are preserved in a cool climate' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss preservation conditions; it discusses exchange and social complexity.
(C) 'To provide evidence that the organization of work was specialized' is incorrect because the passage does not mention specialized labor or roles; it emphasizes trade networks.
(D) 'To give examples of the artistic ability of local populations' is incorrect because the objects are used to show they came from distant regions, not to evaluate artistic skill.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
The process of setting down as a society over many generations, combined with local recruitment, explains the stability of the British northern border in the late Roman period. This also clarifies the reason that certain forts continued in occupation even after Rome had any authority in the British Isles after the start of the fifth century. The events that had allowed native people to become Romanized also led the self-sustaining military community of the border area to become British.
Why does the author state that certain forts continued in occupation even after Rome had any authority in the British Isles?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((C))".
clear Почти. ((C)) - правильный ответ.
(C) The correct answer is to explain that forts continued to serve an important function even after they ceased to be used by the Romans. The author explains that local recruitment and a self-sustaining border community created stability, so forts could remain occupied even after Roman authority ended.
(A) 'To emphasize the degree to which the stability of the British northern frontier depended on Roman military authority' is incorrect because the passage argues stability continued due to local, self-sustaining communities, not ongoing Roman control.
(B) 'To suggest that the Romans continued to occupy Britain even after they had formally given up the right to do so' is incorrect because the passage says Rome no longer had authority; it does not claim Romans stayed.
(D) 'To describe the design and beauty of one of the architectural remains of the Romans' is incorrect because the passage is about historical explanation, not architectural description.
(A) 'To emphasize the degree to which the stability of the British northern frontier depended on Roman military authority' is incorrect because the passage argues stability continued due to local, self-sustaining communities, not ongoing Roman control.
(B) 'To suggest that the Romans continued to occupy Britain even after they had formally given up the right to do so' is incorrect because the passage says Rome no longer had authority; it does not claim Romans stayed.
(D) 'To describe the design and beauty of one of the architectural remains of the Romans' is incorrect because the passage is about historical explanation, not architectural description.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
[1] Pastoralism is a lifestyle in which economic activity is based primarily on livestock. The mobility of pastoralist societies reflects their dependence on animal-based foods. While agriculturalists rely on domesticated plants, pastoralists rely on domesticated animals. As a result, pastoralists, like carnivores in general, occupy a higher position on the food chain. All else being equal, this means they must exploit larger areas of land than do agriculturalists to secure the same amount of food, clothing, and other necessities. So pastoralism is a more extensive lifeway than farming is. However, the larger the terrain used to support a group, the harder it is to exploit that terrain while remaining in one place. So, basic ecological principles imply a strong tendency within pastoralist lifeways toward nomadism (a mobile lifestyle). As the archaeologist Roger Cribb puts it, “The greater the degree of pastoralism, the stronger the tendency toward nomadism.”A modern Turkic nomad interviewed by Cribb commented: "The more animals you have, the farther you have to move."
[2] Nomadism has further consequences. It means that pastoralist societies occupy and can influence very large territories. This is particularly true of the horse pastoralism that emerged in the Inner Eurasian steppes, for this was the most mobile of all major forms of pastoralism. So, it is no accident that with the appearance of pastoralist societies there appear large areas that share similar cultural, ecological, and even linguistic features. By the late fourth millennium B.C., there is already evidence of large culture zones reaching from Eastern Europe to the western borders of Mongolia. Perhaps the most striking sign of mobility is the fact that by the third millennium B.C., most pastoralists in this huge region spoke related languages ancestral to the modern Indo-European languages. The remarkable mobility and range of pastoral societies explain, in part, why so many linguists have argued that the Indo-European languages began their astonishing expansionist career not among farmers in Anatolia (present-day Turkey), but among early pastoralists from Inner Eurasia. Such theories imply that the Indo-European languages evolved not in Neolithic (10,000 to 3,000 B.C.) Anatolia, but among the foraging communities of the cultures in the region of the Don and Dnieper rivers, which took up stock breeding and began to exploit the neighboring steppes.
[2] Nomadism has further consequences. It means that pastoralist societies occupy and can influence very large territories. This is particularly true of the horse pastoralism that emerged in the Inner Eurasian steppes, for this was the most mobile of all major forms of pastoralism. So, it is no accident that with the appearance of pastoralist societies there appear large areas that share similar cultural, ecological, and even linguistic features. By the late fourth millennium B.C., there is already evidence of large culture zones reaching from Eastern Europe to the western borders of Mongolia. Perhaps the most striking sign of mobility is the fact that by the third millennium B.C., most pastoralists in this huge region spoke related languages ancestral to the modern Indo-European languages. The remarkable mobility and range of pastoral societies explain, in part, why so many linguists have argued that the Indo-European languages began their astonishing expansionist career not among farmers in Anatolia (present-day Turkey), but among early pastoralists from Inner Eurasia. Such theories imply that the Indo-European languages evolved not in Neolithic (10,000 to 3,000 B.C.) Anatolia, but among the foraging communities of the cultures in the region of the Don and Dnieper rivers, which took up stock breeding and began to exploit the neighboring steppes.
In paragraph 2, why does the author discuss languages spoken in the region spanning from Eastern Europe to the western borders of Mongolia?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((D))".
clear Почти. ((D)) - правильный ответ.
(D) The correct answer is to provide evidence that pastoralist societies can exercise cultural influence over a large area. The author uses shared, related languages across a vast region as a sign that highly mobile pastoralists spread cultural and linguistic features widely.
(A) 'To emphasize the frequency with which Indo-European languages changed as a result of the mobile nature of pastoralism' is incorrect because the paragraph focuses on spread and shared ancestry, not frequent language change.
(B) 'To indicate one method linguists use to determine that inhabitants of the Don and Dnieper river area had taken up stock breeding' is incorrect because languages are discussed to show mobility and influence, not to prove stock breeding.
(C) 'To provide evidence that Indo-European languages have their roots in what is now Turkey' is incorrect because the paragraph presents the opposing view: that the expansion began among early pastoralists from Inner Eurasia, not Anatolian farmers.
(A) 'To emphasize the frequency with which Indo-European languages changed as a result of the mobile nature of pastoralism' is incorrect because the paragraph focuses on spread and shared ancestry, not frequent language change.
(B) 'To indicate one method linguists use to determine that inhabitants of the Don and Dnieper river area had taken up stock breeding' is incorrect because languages are discussed to show mobility and influence, not to prove stock breeding.
(C) 'To provide evidence that Indo-European languages have their roots in what is now Turkey' is incorrect because the paragraph presents the opposing view: that the expansion began among early pastoralists from Inner Eurasia, not Anatolian farmers.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
Scholars have theorized about the motives that led people to develop theater. Why did theater develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., sees humans as naturally imitative—as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes in fiction if not fact. The theater, then, is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.
But neither the human imitative instinct nor a penchant for fantasy by itself leads to an autonomous theater. Therefore, additional explanations are needed. One necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of human problems. For example, one sign of this condition is the appearance of the comic vision, since comedy requires sufficient detachment to view some deviations from social norms as ridiculous rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire group. Another condition that contributes to the development of autonomous theater is the emergence of the aesthetic sense. For example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious usefulness.
But neither the human imitative instinct nor a penchant for fantasy by itself leads to an autonomous theater. Therefore, additional explanations are needed. One necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of human problems. For example, one sign of this condition is the appearance of the comic vision, since comedy requires sufficient detachment to view some deviations from social norms as ridiculous rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire group. Another condition that contributes to the development of autonomous theater is the emergence of the aesthetic sense. For example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious usefulness.
Why does the author mention “comedy”?
Отправить ответ
done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((C))".
clear Почти. ((C)) - правильный ответ.
(C) The correct answer is to help explain why detachment is needed for the development of theater. The author says comedy requires enough detachment to see deviations from social norms as “ridiculous” rather than as serious threats, so it serves as an example of the needed mindset.
(A) 'To give an example of early types of theater' is incorrect because the author is not listing historical theater genres; comedy is used to illustrate a psychological/social condition.
(B) 'To explain how theater helps a society respond to threats to its welfare' is incorrect because the point is the opposite: comedy involves not viewing deviations as major threats.
(D) 'To show how theatrical performers become detached from other members of society' is incorrect because the detachment discussed is a community’s perspective, not performers separating themselves from society.
(A) 'To give an example of early types of theater' is incorrect because the author is not listing historical theater genres; comedy is used to illustrate a psychological/social condition.
(B) 'To explain how theater helps a society respond to threats to its welfare' is incorrect because the point is the opposite: comedy involves not viewing deviations as major threats.
(D) 'To show how theatrical performers become detached from other members of society' is incorrect because the detachment discussed is a community’s perspective, not performers separating themselves from society.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
In Britain one of the most dramatic changes of the Industrial Revolution was the harnessing of power. In the 1760s, James Watt perfected a separate condenser for the steam, so that the cylinder did not have to be cooled at every stroke; then he devised a way to make the piston turn a wheel and thus convert reciprocating (back and forth) motion into rotary motion. He thereby transformed an inefficient pump of limited use into a steam engine of a thousand uses. The final step came when steam was introduced into the cylinder to drive the piston backward as well as forward, thereby increasing the speed of the engine and cutting its fuel consumption. Watt's steam engine soon showed what it could do. It liberated industry from dependence on running water. The engine eliminated water in the mines by driving efficient pumps, which made possible deeper and deeper mining. The ready availability of coal inspired William Murdoch during the 1790s to develop the first new form of nighttime illumination to be discovered in a millennium and a half. Coal gas rivaled smoky oil lamps and flickering candles, and early in the new century, well-to-do Londoners grew accustomed to gaslit houses and even streets. Iron manufacturers, which had starved for fuel while depending on charcoal, also benefited from ever-increasing supplies of coal: blast furnaces with steam-powered bellows turned out more iron and steel for the new machinery. Steam became the motive force of the Industrial Revolution as coal and iron ore were the raw materials.
Why does the author mention William Murdoch’s invention of a new form of nighttime illumination in order to
Отправить ответ
done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((A))".
clear Почти. ((A)) - правильный ответ.
(A) The correct answer is to indicate one of the important developments made possible by the introduction of Watt's steam engine. The passage explains that steam power liberated industry and increased coal use, and Murdoch’s coal-gas lighting is given as a concrete example of what abundant coal and industrial change made possible.
(B) 'make the point that Watt's steam engine was not the only invention of importance to the Industrial Revolution' is incorrect because Murdoch’s invention is presented as a result of conditions created by steam power and coal, not as a separate competing invention.
(C) 'illustrate how important coal was as a raw material for the Industrial Revolution' is incorrect because the lighting example is about a new use enabled by coal availability and industrial change, not primarily about coal as a raw material.
(D) 'provide an example of another eighteenth-century invention that used steam as a power source' is incorrect because Murdoch’s nighttime illumination used coal gas, not steam power.
(B) 'make the point that Watt's steam engine was not the only invention of importance to the Industrial Revolution' is incorrect because Murdoch’s invention is presented as a result of conditions created by steam power and coal, not as a separate competing invention.
(C) 'illustrate how important coal was as a raw material for the Industrial Revolution' is incorrect because the lighting example is about a new use enabled by coal availability and industrial change, not primarily about coal as a raw material.
(D) 'provide an example of another eighteenth-century invention that used steam as a power source' is incorrect because Murdoch’s nighttime illumination used coal gas, not steam power.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
By the eighteenth century, Britain was experiencing a severe shortage of energy. Because of the growth of population, most of the great forests of medieval Britain had long ago been replaced by fields of grain and hay. Wood was in ever-shorter supply, yet it remained tremendously important. It served as the primary source of heat for all homes and industries and as a basic raw material. Processed wood (charcoal) was the fuel that was mixed with iron ore in the blast furnace to produce pig iron (raw iron). The iron industry’s appetite for wood was enormous, and by 1740 the British iron industry was stagnating. Vast forests enabled Russia to become the world’s leading producer of iron, much of which was exported to Britain. But Russia’s potential for growth was limited too, and in a few decades Russia would reach the barrier of inadequate energy that was already holding England back.
As this early energy crisis grew worse, Britain looked toward its abundant and widely scattered reserves of coal as an alternative to its vanishing wood. Coal was first used in Britain in the late Middle Ages as a source of heat. By 1640 most homes in London were heated with it, and it also provided heat for making beer, glass, soap, and other products. Coal was not used, however, to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. It was there that coal’s potential was enormous.
As this early energy crisis grew worse, Britain looked toward its abundant and widely scattered reserves of coal as an alternative to its vanishing wood. Coal was first used in Britain in the late Middle Ages as a source of heat. By 1640 most homes in London were heated with it, and it also provided heat for making beer, glass, soap, and other products. Coal was not used, however, to produce mechanical energy or to power machinery. It was there that coal’s potential was enormous.
Why are "beer, glass, soap, and other products" mentioned in the discussion of Britain’s energy?
Отправить ответ
done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((D))".
clear Почти. ((D)) - правильный ответ.
(D) The correct answer is to indicate that coal had been used for the production of certain products before the eighteenth century. The author lists beer, glass, soap, and other products to show that coal was already used as a heat source for some manufacturing long before it was used to power machinery.
(A) 'To help explain why the energy crisis was so severe' is incorrect because the crisis is explained by wood scarcity and industrial demand, not by the specific list of products.
(B) 'To show that despite the energy crisis and as early as 1640, London homes were advanced and well supplied' is incorrect because the list is about coal’s uses, not about how advanced homes were.
(C) 'To emphasize that after 1640, British homes required energy for more than heat' is incorrect because the passage says coal heated homes and also provided heat for making products; it does not claim homes needed energy for other purposes.
(A) 'To help explain why the energy crisis was so severe' is incorrect because the crisis is explained by wood scarcity and industrial demand, not by the specific list of products.
(B) 'To show that despite the energy crisis and as early as 1640, London homes were advanced and well supplied' is incorrect because the list is about coal’s uses, not about how advanced homes were.
(C) 'To emphasize that after 1640, British homes required energy for more than heat' is incorrect because the passage says coal heated homes and also provided heat for making products; it does not claim homes needed energy for other purposes.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
While many other observers and thinkers had laid the groundwork for science, Thales (circa 624 B.C.E.–ca 547 B.C.E.), the best known of the earliest Greek philosophers, made the first steps toward a new, more objective approach to finding out about the world. He posed a very basic question: “What is the world made of?” Many others had asked the same question before him, but Thales based his answer strictly on what he had observed and what he could reason out—not on imaginative stories about the gods or the supernatural. He proposed water as the single substance from which everything in the world was made and developed a model of the universe with Earth as a flat disk floating in water.
Why does the author discuss the question “What is the world made of?” posed by Thales?
Отправить ответ
done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((A))".
clear Почти. ((A)) - правильный ответ.
(A) The correct answer is to help explain how Thales differed from earlier Greek thinkers. The author uses Thales’s question to show his new, more objective approach: he answered based on observation and reasoning rather than myths about gods or the supernatural.
(B) 'To trace the origin of the question through ancient history' is incorrect because the passage does not provide a historical chain of who asked it earlier.
(C) 'To emphasize that the answer to the question proposed by Thales was the first correct solution' is incorrect because the passage does not claim his answer (water) was correct; it highlights his method.
(D) 'To suggest why the question remained unanswered for so long' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss the question’s long-term difficulty or later lack of answers.
(B) 'To trace the origin of the question through ancient history' is incorrect because the passage does not provide a historical chain of who asked it earlier.
(C) 'To emphasize that the answer to the question proposed by Thales was the first correct solution' is incorrect because the passage does not claim his answer (water) was correct; it highlights his method.
(D) 'To suggest why the question remained unanswered for so long' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss the question’s long-term difficulty or later lack of answers.
Перезапустить тест
Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
Now let's practice.
Anaximander, one of the best known Greek philosophers, believe that all life originated in the sea, and he was thus one of the first to conceive of this important idea. Anaximander is credited with drawing up the first world map of the Greeks and also with recognizing that Earth’s surface was curved. He believed, though, that the shape of Earth was that of a cylinder rather than the sphere that later Greek philosophers would conjecture. Anaximander, observing the motions of the heavens around the polestar, was probably the first of the Greek philosophers to picture the sky as a sphere completely surrounding Earth—an idea that, elaborated upon later, would prevail until the advent of the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century.
Why does the author refer to “the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century” ?
Отправить ответ
done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((C))".
clear Почти. ((C)) - правильный ответ.
(C) The correct answer is to indicate how long one of Anaximander’s ideas remained influential. The author mentions the Scientific Revolution to show that the idea of the sky as a sphere surrounding Earth, developed and expanded later, remained the prevailing view until the seventeenth century.
(A) 'To identify the time when Anaximander’s theory was first considered seriously' is incorrect because the passage discusses influence lasting until then, not when it began to be taken seriously.
(B) 'To introduce the evidence that helped to develop Anaximander’s ideas' is incorrect because the Scientific Revolution is mentioned as an endpoint of influence, not as evidence for his ideas.
(D) 'To give an example of the many unsuccessful attempts to discredit Anaximander’s ideas' is incorrect because the passage does not describe attempts to discredit him.
(A) 'To identify the time when Anaximander’s theory was first considered seriously' is incorrect because the passage discusses influence lasting until then, not when it began to be taken seriously.
(B) 'To introduce the evidence that helped to develop Anaximander’s ideas' is incorrect because the Scientific Revolution is mentioned as an endpoint of influence, not as evidence for his ideas.
(D) 'To give an example of the many unsuccessful attempts to discredit Anaximander’s ideas' is incorrect because the passage does not describe attempts to discredit him.
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Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
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Photographic evidence suggests that liquid water once existed in great quantity on the surface of Mars. Two types of flow features are seen: runoff channels and outflow channels. Runoff channels are found in the southern highlands. These flow features are extensive systems—sometimes hundreds of kilometers in total length—of interconnecting, twisting channels that seem to merge into larger, wider channels. They bear a strong resemblance to river systems on Earth, and geologists think that they are dried-up beds of long-gone rivers that once carried rainfall on Mars from the mountains down into the valleys. Runoff channels on Mars speak of a time 4 billion years ago (the age of the Martian highlands), when the atmosphere was thicker, the surface warmer, and liquid water widespread.
Outflow channels are probably relics of catastrophic flooding on Mars long ago. They appear only in equatorial regions and generally do not form extensive interconnected networks. Instead, they are probably the paths taken by huge volumes of water draining from the southern highlands into the northern plains. The onrushing water arising from these flash floods likely also formed the odd teardrop-shaped “islands”(resembling the miniature versions seen in the wet sand of our beaches at low tide) that have been found on the plains close to the ends of the outflow channels. Judging from the width and depth of the channels, the flow rates must have been truly enormous—perhaps as much as a hundred times greater than the 105 tons per second carried by the great Amazon river. Flooding shaped the outflow channels approximately 3 billion years ago, about the same times as the northern volcanic plains formed.
Outflow channels are probably relics of catastrophic flooding on Mars long ago. They appear only in equatorial regions and generally do not form extensive interconnected networks. Instead, they are probably the paths taken by huge volumes of water draining from the southern highlands into the northern plains. The onrushing water arising from these flash floods likely also formed the odd teardrop-shaped “islands”(resembling the miniature versions seen in the wet sand of our beaches at low tide) that have been found on the plains close to the ends of the outflow channels. Judging from the width and depth of the channels, the flow rates must have been truly enormous—perhaps as much as a hundred times greater than the 105 tons per second carried by the great Amazon river. Flooding shaped the outflow channels approximately 3 billion years ago, about the same times as the northern volcanic plains formed.
In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that 105 tons of water flow through the Amazon river per second?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((A))".
clear Почти. ((A)) - правильный ответ.
(A) The correct answer is to emphasize the great size of the volume of water that seems to have flowed through Mars’ outflow channels. The author gives the Amazon’s flow rate as a familiar comparison, then says Mars’ flow rates may have been up to a hundred times greater, highlighting how enormous the Martian floods were.
(B) 'To indicate data used by scientists to estimate how long ago Mars’ outflow channels were formed' is incorrect because the Amazon figure is about flow rate size, not dating the channels.
(C) 'To argue that flash floods on Mars may have been powerful enough to cause tear-shaped “islands” to form' is incorrect because the Amazon comparison is used specifically to quantify flow magnitude, not to prove island formation.
(D) 'To argue that the force of flood waters on Mars was powerful enough to shape the northern volcanic plains' is incorrect because the passage links the floods to shaping outflow channels and features near them, not to forming the volcanic plains.
(B) 'To indicate data used by scientists to estimate how long ago Mars’ outflow channels were formed' is incorrect because the Amazon figure is about flow rate size, not dating the channels.
(C) 'To argue that flash floods on Mars may have been powerful enough to cause tear-shaped “islands” to form' is incorrect because the Amazon comparison is used specifically to quantify flow magnitude, not to prove island formation.
(D) 'To argue that the force of flood waters on Mars was powerful enough to shape the northern volcanic plains' is incorrect because the passage links the floods to shaping outflow channels and features near them, not to forming the volcanic plains.
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Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
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Pastoralism is a lifestyle in which economic activity is based primarily on livestock. Archaeological evidence suggests that by 3000 B.C., and perhaps even earlier, there had emerged on the steppes of Inner Eurasia the distinctive types of pastoralism that were to dominate the region's history for several millennia. Here, the horse was already becoming the animal of prestige in many regions, though sheep, goats, and cattle could also play a vital role. It is the use of horses for transportation and warfare that explains why Inner Eurasian pastoralism proved the most mobile and the most militaristic of all major forms of pastoralism. The emergence and spread of pastoralism had a profound impact on the history of Inner Eurasia, and also, indirectly, on the parts of Asia and Europe just outside this area. In particular, pastoralism favors a mobile lifestyle, and this mobility helps to explain the impact of pastoralist societies on this part of the world.
The mobility of pastoralist societies reflects their dependence on animal-based foods. While agriculturalists rely on domesticated plants, pastoralists rely on domesticated animals. As a result, pastoralists, like carnivores in general, occupy a higher position on the food chain. All else being equal, this means they must exploit larger areas of land than do agriculturalists to secure the same amount of food, clothing, and other necessities. So pastoralism is a more extensive lifeway than farming is. However, the larger the terrain used to support a group, the harder it is to exploit that terrain while remaining in one place. So, basic ecological principles imply a strong tendency within pastoralist lifeways toward nomadism (a mobile lifestyle). As the archaeologist Roger Cribb puts it, “The greater the degree of pastoralism, the stronger the tendency toward nomadism.”A modern Turkic nomad interviewed by Cribb commented: 'The more animals you have, the farther you have to move.'
The mobility of pastoralist societies reflects their dependence on animal-based foods. While agriculturalists rely on domesticated plants, pastoralists rely on domesticated animals. As a result, pastoralists, like carnivores in general, occupy a higher position on the food chain. All else being equal, this means they must exploit larger areas of land than do agriculturalists to secure the same amount of food, clothing, and other necessities. So pastoralism is a more extensive lifeway than farming is. However, the larger the terrain used to support a group, the harder it is to exploit that terrain while remaining in one place. So, basic ecological principles imply a strong tendency within pastoralist lifeways toward nomadism (a mobile lifestyle). As the archaeologist Roger Cribb puts it, “The greater the degree of pastoralism, the stronger the tendency toward nomadism.”A modern Turkic nomad interviewed by Cribb commented: 'The more animals you have, the farther you have to move.'
In paragraph 2, why does the author contrast pastoralists with agriculturalists?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((A))".
clear Почти. ((A)) - правильный ответ.
(A) The correct answer is to explain why pastoralism requires more land than agriculturalism to support basic needs. The author contrasts animal-based and plant-based dependence to show pastoralists occupy a higher trophic level and therefore must exploit larger areas to obtain the same necessities.
(B) 'To identify some advantages that mobile societies have over immobile societies' is incorrect because the paragraph explains ecological demands, not advantages.
(C) 'To demonstrate that ecological principles that apply to pastoralism do not apply to agriculturalism' is incorrect because the author uses a comparison to explain land needs, not to claim principles do not apply to farming.
(D) 'To argue that agriculturalism eventually developed out of pastoralism' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss the historical origin of agriculture from pastoralism.
(B) 'To identify some advantages that mobile societies have over immobile societies' is incorrect because the paragraph explains ecological demands, not advantages.
(C) 'To demonstrate that ecological principles that apply to pastoralism do not apply to agriculturalism' is incorrect because the author uses a comparison to explain land needs, not to claim principles do not apply to farming.
(D) 'To argue that agriculturalism eventually developed out of pastoralism' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss the historical origin of agriculture from pastoralism.
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Located in tropical areas at low altitudes, savannas are stable ecosystems, some wet and some dry consisting of vast grasslands with scattered trees or shrubs. They occur on a wide range of soil types and in extremes of climate. There is no simple or single factor that determines if a given site will be a savanna, but some factors seem to play important roles in their formation. Savannas typically experience a rather prolonged dry season. One theory behind savanna formation is that wet forest species are unable to withstand the dry season, and thus savanna, rather than rain forest, is favored on the site. Savannas experience an annual rainfall of between 1,000 and 2,000 millimeters, most of it falling in a five- to eight-month wet season. Though plenty of rain may fall on a savanna during the year, for at least part of the year little does, creating the drought stress ultimately favoring grasses. Such conditions prevail throughout much of northern South America and Cuba, but many Central American savannas as well as coastal areas of Brazil and the island of Trinidad do not fit this pattern. In these areas, rainfall per month exceeds that in the above definition, so other factors must contribute to savanna formation.
In paragraph 1, the author mentions savannas in Central America, Brazil, and the island of Trinidad in order to
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((B))".
clear Почти. ((B)) - правильный ответ.
(B) The correct answer is to point out exceptions to the pattern of savanna formation in areas with drought stress. After defining a common pattern (a prolonged dry season and drought stress), the author mentions Central America, coastal Brazil, and Trinidad as places that do not fit it, showing other factors must be involved.
(A) 'argue that these savannas are similar to those in South America and Cuba' is incorrect because the author explicitly says they do not fit the pattern.
(C) 'provide additional examples of savannas in areas with five-to-eight-month wet seasons' is incorrect because these locations are introduced as exceptions, not as matching examples.
(D) 'indicate areas where savannas are being gradually replaced by rainforests' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss replacement over time; it discusses formation factors.
(A) 'argue that these savannas are similar to those in South America and Cuba' is incorrect because the author explicitly says they do not fit the pattern.
(C) 'provide additional examples of savannas in areas with five-to-eight-month wet seasons' is incorrect because these locations are introduced as exceptions, not as matching examples.
(D) 'indicate areas where savannas are being gradually replaced by rainforests' is incorrect because the passage does not discuss replacement over time; it discusses formation factors.
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Complete the multiple choice with paragraph below
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Until the early- to mid-twentieth century, scientists believed that stars generate energy by shrinking. As stars contracted, it was thought, they would get hotter and hotter, giving off light in the process. This could not be the primary way that stars shine, however. If it were, they would scarcely last a million years, rather than the billions of years in age that we know they are. We now know that stars are fueled by nuclear fusion. Each time fusion takes place, energy is released as a by-product. This energy, expelled into space, is what we see as starlight. The fusion process begins when two hydrogen nuclei smash together to form a particle called the deuteron (a combination of a positive proton and a neutral neutron). Deuterons readily combine with additional protons to form helium. Helium, in turn, can fuse together to form heavier elements, such as carbon. In a typical star, merger after merger takes place until significant quantities of heavy elements are built up.
In paragraph 1, why does the author point out that stars are billions of years old?
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done Верно! Правильный ответ: "((C))".
clear Почти. ((C)) - правильный ответ.
(C) The correct answer is to argue that shrinking cannot be the main way stars generate energy. The author notes that if contraction were the main energy source, stars would last only about a million years, but since stars are billions of years old, contraction alone cannot explain their long-lasting brightness.
(A) 'To establish that starlight is produced by an ongoing process and not by a one-time event' is incorrect because the age point is used to reject contraction, not to contrast ongoing versus one-time processes.
(B) 'To suggest that stars contract much more slowly than was previously believed' is incorrect because the author does not revise contraction speed; the argument is that contraction cannot be the primary source at all.
(D) 'To argue that fusion in a star slows down as quantities of heavy elements build up' is incorrect because that idea is not stated; the paragraph explains fusion steps rather than claiming a slowdown.
(A) 'To establish that starlight is produced by an ongoing process and not by a one-time event' is incorrect because the age point is used to reject contraction, not to contrast ongoing versus one-time processes.
(B) 'To suggest that stars contract much more slowly than was previously believed' is incorrect because the author does not revise contraction speed; the argument is that contraction cannot be the primary source at all.
(D) 'To argue that fusion in a star slows down as quantities of heavy elements build up' is incorrect because that idea is not stated; the paragraph explains fusion steps rather than claiming a slowdown.
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