16Hit1600
Craft and StructureVery hardOverall structure: distinction then application

Craft and Structure practice question

There are two ways a bridge can be old: it can have stood untouched for centuries, or it can have been repaired so often that no original stone remains. The medieval bridge at the ford is old in the second sense — every arch has been rebuilt at least once — and yet its shape, its position, and its purpose are exactly what they were in 1350. Which kind of age matters depends on what you want a bridge to be.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

  1. A. It distinguishes two meanings of a word, applies one to a specific case, and closes by leaving the choice between them to the reader.Correct
  2. B. It argues that the bridge should be demolished.
  3. C. It describes the bridge's construction step by step.
  4. D. It compares the bridge with a newer one nearby.

Answer: A. It distinguishes two meanings of a word, applies one to a specific case, and closes by leaving the choice between them to the reader.

Two senses of 'old', the bridge as an example of the second, and a closing question of values.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It argues that the bridge should be demolished.
No such argument.
C. It describes the bridge's construction step by step.
No construction sequence.
D. It compares the bridge with a newer one nearby.
No newer bridge is mentioned.

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