17. In the following sentence in paragraph A, why does the writer contrast ‘seeds’ with ‘coal, oil or other precious resources’: “This resource is not coal, oil or other precious resources, but seeds.”

The writer wants to show that ‘coal, oil or precious minerals’ are

Question

17.  In the following sentence in paragraph A, why does the writer contrast ‘seeds’ with ‘coal, oil or other precious resources’: “This resource is not coal, oil or other precious resources, but seeds.”

The writer wants to show that ‘coal, oil or precious minerals’ are

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: In the sentence from paragraph A, why does the writer contrast ‘seeds’ with ‘coal, oil or other precious resources’: “This resource is not coal, oil or other precious resources, but seeds.” The writer wants to show that ‘coal, oil or precious minerals’ are

Option 1: not important at all
- This option claims that coal, oil, or precious resources have no importance whatsoever. The contrast in the sentence does not support a claim of total non-importance; the contrast merely signals a shift in what is being highlighted as the resource. Thus, saying they are not important at all goes beyond what the sentence conveys and ignores the nuanced comparison implied by the contrast.

Option 2: as important as seeds
- If coal, oil, or precious resources were described as being as important as seeds, the contrast would imply equivalence in significance. However, the phrase “but seeds” signals a divergence from those resources, suggesting seeds hold a different, likely higher prominence in this context. Therefore this option misreads the intended emphasis in the contrast.

Option 3: more important than seeds
- This would require the writer to present coal, oil, or minerals as surpassing seeds in importance. The sentence, however, presents seeds as the resource being singled out, not as a superior alternative to seeds. The use of “not … but seeds” directs attention toward seeds rather than elevating coal, oil, or minerals above seeds, making this interpretation unlikely.

Option 4: less important than seeds
- Here the claim is that coal, oil, or precious resources are considered less important than seeds within the discussion. The contrastive structure “not coal, oil or other precious resources, but seeds” aligns with presenting seeds as the emphasized resource, thereby implying that the other resources are viewed as less central in this context. This reading fits the signaling effect of the contrast and the ordinary purpose of such a linguistic turn in argument or description.

In summary, the contrast is used to elevate seeds relative to coal, oil, and precious resources by contrasting them directly and signaling that seeds occupy the more important or preferred position in the sentence’s argument. The option that captures this interpretation is the one that states coal, oil, or precious resources are less important than seeds, given the writer’s deliberate pivot to seeds as the focal resource. Overall, the other choices either overstate or misstate the degree of importance, and do not align with the contrastive construction the author uses.

DEC 10 DEC 10 Diagnostic Reading Test

17. In the following sentence in paragraph A, why does the writer contrast ‘seeds’ with ‘coal, oil or other precious resources’: “This resource is not coal, oil or other precious resources, but seeds.” The writer wants to show that ‘coal, oil or precious minerals’ are

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