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Craft and StructureMediumFunction of a sentence

Craft and Structure practice question

Octopuses are often described as escape artists. Aquarium staff have found them squeezing through gaps barely wider than an eye. One octopus in New Zealand famously slipped out of its tank at night and made its way down a drainpipe to the sea. Such feats are possible because an octopus has no rigid skeleton; the only hard part of its body is its beak.

Which choice best states the function of the third sentence ("One octopus in New Zealand...") in the text as a whole?

  1. A. It provides a striking example of the ability described in the preceding sentences.Correct
  2. B. It introduces a counterexample that challenges the description in the first sentence.
  3. C. It explains the physical reason that octopuses are able to escape.
  4. D. It summarises the main argument of the text.

Answer: A. It provides a striking example of the ability described in the preceding sentences.

The first two sentences establish that octopuses escape through tiny gaps; the New Zealand octopus is a specific, memorable instance of that. The explanation comes only in the last sentence.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It introduces a counterexample that challenges the description in the first sentence.
The New Zealand octopus escaped, which supports the 'escape artist' description rather than challenging it.
C. It explains the physical reason that octopuses are able to escape.
The physical reason — no rigid skeleton — is given in the fourth sentence, not the third.
D. It summarises the main argument of the text.
A single anecdote can't summarise the text; it's one piece of evidence within it.

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