Craft and StructureEasy–MediumFunction of a sentence in an ecology text
Craft and Structure practice question
A burned forest looks like a dead one, and for years managers rushed to replant as quickly as possible. Yet surveys found more birds and small mammals in recently burned stands than in untouched forest nearby. Dead trees turn out to be crowded habitat: beetles colonize the wood, woodpeckers follow the beetles, and the cavities they carve shelter dozens of other species.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the text as a whole?
- A. It presents a surprising finding that the rest of the text explains.Correct
- B. It restates the common assumption the text opens with.
- C. It offers a counterargument the author goes on to reject.
- D. It describes the methods used to collect the data.
Answer: A. It presents a surprising finding that the rest of the text explains.
The second sentence delivers the unexpected result (burned forests held more wildlife), and the following sentences explain why.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. It restates the common assumption the text opens with.
- It reverses the opening assumption rather than restating it.
- C. It offers a counterargument the author goes on to reject.
- The text supports the finding with an explanation instead of rejecting it.
- D. It describes the methods used to collect the data.
- No collection methods are described in the sentence.
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