What is the author's primary rhetorical purpose in reviewing the history of scurvy eradication in the British Royal Navy via citrus juice rationing?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. To demonstrate how empirical dietary observation preceded modern biochemical vitamin discovery
- Step 1: Lind's trials proved lemon juice prevented scurvy centuries before vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was chemically isolated. Step 2. The narrative shows empirical clinical practice preceding molecular understanding. Answer: To demonstrate how empirical dietary observation preceded modern biochemical vitamin discovery. Why not the others: Scurvy was solved via practical dietary policy, validating Lind's insight.
Practise more Academic Reading and Argument Structure.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed SIMAK UI mock tests.
More Academic Reading and Argument Structure questions
- Read the passage:
'The synthesis of graphene membranes has opened unprecedented avenues for molecular sieving. By engineering sub-nanometer… - In an analytical essay concerning behavioral economics, the author cites Daniel Kahneman's prospect theory to explain why investors hold los…
- Read the excerpt:
'Linguists long debated whether human language acquisition stems from innate neurological templates or statistical pattern… - What is the primary function of the concluding sentence in a paragraph tracing the transition from fossil fuel subsidies to carbon pricing m…
- Read the statement:
'While the serendipitous discovery of penicillin revolutionized twentieth-century therapeutics, indiscriminate contempor… - Read the text:
'Epigenetic modifications—such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation—alter gene expression patterns without modifying un…