Problem
Each member of a research group visited either the Virgin Islands or Hawaii...
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Math questions involving two equations and two unknowns can usually be combined into one equation with one unknown.
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SAT: Paragraph Improvement Question #8 |
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(1) For centuries, musicians have played "acoustical" guitars, or ones that produce sounds through the vibrations of their strings. (2) They are made of light wood, have curved sides and a flat or arched top and back. (3) Guitar strings are made of bronze, nylon, or steel. (4) Most guitars have 6 strings, but some have 4 or 12. (5) The strings are fastened to the bridge, a small piece of wood on top of the instrument, extend along the finger board and are tied to tuning keys at the head. (6) Narrow metal strips called "frets" are located on the finger board below the strings. (7) To play the guitar, a musician must press the strings against the frets with the fingers of one hand. (8) They strum or pluck the strings with the other hand or with a plectrum, also known as a "pick".
(9) In the 1930's, guitar companies begin to commercially produce the electric guitar. (10) An electric guitar is essentially that same as an acoustical. (11) Except it also has an electromagnetic device that picks up the vibrations of the strings and translates them into electrical impulses. (12) An amplifier is used to modify the impulses, and loudspeakers change impulses back into sound. (13) An electric guitar produces a greater range of sounds than an acoustical guitar, although some people find the acoustical to be far more pleasant to listen to.
Question:
Which of the following revisions would make sentence 13 better?
An electric guitar produces a greater range of sounds than an acoustical guitar, although some people find the acoustical to be far more pleasant to listen to.
Choices:
The first problem we encounter in sentence 13 is the faulty comparison: the sounds of the guitars need to be compared to one another consistently throughout the sentence. Second, the sentence ends with a preposition, something we also need to correct. Choice (A) rectifies both these mistakes, so this is the best answer. We can eliminate choices (B) , (C) and (E) right away, since they all leave the preposition "to" at the end of the sentence. Choice (D) is the only other option left, but reversing the order of the clauses cause sentence 13 to be awkward within the context of the paragraph: sentence 12 discusses how the sounds of an electric guitar are made, so sentence 13 should begin with the clause about electric guitar sounds.
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