16Hit1600
Craft and StructureEasy–MediumFunction of a closing consequence

Craft and Structure practice question

Old sailing ships carried live tortoises as food. The animals could survive for months in a hold without food or water, so a ship could have fresh meat long after its other supplies had spoiled. The practice nearly wiped out the tortoises of several islands.

Which choice best describes the function of the final sentence?

  1. A. It states a consequence of the practice described in the earlier sentences.Correct
  2. B. It explains why sailors preferred tortoises to other animals.
  3. C. It contradicts the claim made in the second sentence.
  4. D. It introduces a different animal carried by sailing ships.

Answer: A. It states a consequence of the practice described in the earlier sentences.

After explaining why ships carried tortoises, the last sentence tells what that practice did to the tortoises.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It explains why sailors preferred tortoises to other animals.
The reason for preferring tortoises is in the second sentence.
C. It contradicts the claim made in the second sentence.
Nothing in the final sentence disputes that tortoises survived in holds.
D. It introduces a different animal carried by sailing ships.
No other animal appears.

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