Information and IdeasVery hardQuotation illustrating a claim about tone
Information and Ideas practice question
A critic argues that the essayist treats her own expertise with irony, undercutting her authority even as she displays it.
Which quotation from the essay most effectively illustrates the critic's claim?
- A. "I have spent thirty years studying the moth, which qualifies me to say with confidence that I do not understand it."Correct
- B. "Thirty years of study have given me a full understanding of the moth."
- C. "I know little about moths, and will not pretend otherwise."
- D. "The moth is a difficult subject for anyone."
Answer: A. "I have spent thirty years studying the moth, which qualifies me to say with confidence that I do not understand it."
Thirty years' authority, used to confess ignorance: irony at her own expense.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. "Thirty years of study have given me a full understanding of the moth."
- Authority without irony.
- C. "I know little about moths, and will not pretend otherwise."
- Modesty without expertise.
- D. "The moth is a difficult subject for anyone."
- No expertise displayed.
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