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Expression of IdeasMediumEmphasising how long something takes

Expression of Ideas practice question

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: - Bristlecone pines grow in the mountains of the western United States. - Some living bristlecones are more than 4,800 years old. - The trees add less than 2.5 centimetres to their girth per century in harsh years. - Their dense, resinous wood resists rot and insects.

The student wants to emphasise how slowly bristlecone pines grow. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

  1. A. In harsh years a bristlecone pine adds less than 2.5 centimetres to its girth in an entire century.Correct
  2. B. Bristlecone pines grow in the mountains of the western United States.
  3. C. Some bristlecone pines are more than 4,800 years old.
  4. D. The dense, resinous wood of the bristlecone pine resists rot and insects.

Answer: A. In harsh years a bristlecone pine adds less than 2.5 centimetres to its girth in an entire century.

The goal is growth speed. Only choice A gives a growth rate — and it stresses how tiny it is by pairing 'less than 2.5 centimetres' with 'an entire century'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. Bristlecone pines grow in the mountains of the western United States.
Location says nothing about how fast the trees grow.
C. Some bristlecone pines are more than 4,800 years old.
Age shows how LONG the trees live, which is different from how slowly they grow.
D. The dense, resinous wood of the bristlecone pine resists rot and insects.
Wood durability explains survival, not growth speed.

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