16Hit1600
Expression of IdeasEasyRhetorical synthesis: emphasizing a specific attribute (age)

Expression of Ideas practice question

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • In 2008, archaeologists excavating the Hohle Fels cave in Germany found a flute. • The flute was carved from the wing bone of a griffon vulture. • The flute has five finger holes. • The flute is roughly 40,000 years old. • It is among the oldest known musical instruments in the world.

The student wants to emphasize the age of the flute. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

  1. A. The Hohle Fels flute, which is roughly 40,000 years old, is among the oldest known musical instruments in the world.Correct
  2. B. Carved from the wing bone of a griffon vulture, the Hohle Fels flute has five finger holes.
  3. C. The Hohle Fels flute was found in 2008 by archaeologists excavating a cave in Germany.
  4. D. Archaeologists in Germany have recovered a flute carved from the wing bone of a griffon vulture.

Answer: A. The Hohle Fels flute, which is roughly 40,000 years old, is among the oldest known musical instruments in the world.

A is correct: it gives the flute's approximate age (40,000 years) and underscores that age by noting it is among the oldest known instruments. B describes the flute's material and construction, not its age. C cites 2008, the date of the flute's discovery—an error that confuses when the object was found with how old the object is. D describes who found it and what it is made of, again omitting any information about age.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. Carved from the wing bone of a griffon vulture, the Hohle Fels flute has five finger holes.
You chose the notes about material and finger holes, which describe how the flute was made rather than how old it is.
C. The Hohle Fels flute was found in 2008 by archaeologists excavating a cave in Germany.
2008 is when archaeologists found the flute, not how old the flute is — the age you want is the roughly 40,000 years.
D. Archaeologists in Germany have recovered a flute carved from the wing bone of a griffon vulture.
This tells who found the flute and what it's carved from, but includes no information about age at all.

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