The following is a draft of a student essay. It may contain errors. Which statement provides the best introduction for the passage? A. Many of us will remember that a papyrus is an ancient text written on a thick paper made from the fibers of a plant that grew in the Nile region of Egypt. B. The Ancient Egyptians used many different natural resources to treat various ailments, and one of the main ways we know this is through a historical medical text. C. As a boy, Georg was fascinated by the culture of Egypt, and even though it was not a popular subject to pursue, he devoted many years to learning as much as he could about it. D. When you think of going to the doctor, you do not necessarily imagine being given salad herbs for treatment, but that is exactly what some Ancient Egyptian doctors prescribed

A Draft of a Student Essay

The statement that provides the best introduction for the passage is:

C. As a boy, Georg was fascinated by the culture of Egypt, and even though it was not a popular subject to pursue, he devoted many years to learning as much as he could about it.

Explanation:

The best introduction to the passage contains the main idea or topic.  In this case, the main topic is "the culture of Egypt."  This is followed by a proposal made by the writer which outlines her opinion or claim (thesis).  The introduction statement above also shows the writer's claim, "the culture of Egypt was not a popular subject to pursue."  Lastly, the best introduction after stating the main topic and the writer's thesis, must be followed by some supporting arguments.  These are statements D, B, and A in that sequential order.

Therefore, I will re-arrange the passage as follows, to show that C statement is the best introduction and that other statements sequentially support it.  I have also bolded the linkages in the arguments to prove that the sequence is in order.

Best Introduction:

C. As a boy, Georg was fascinated by the culture of Egypt, and even though it was not a popular subject to pursue, he devoted many years to learning as much as he could about it.

Arguments:

D. When you think of going to the doctor, you do not necessarily imagine being given salad herbs for treatment, but that is exactly what some Ancient Egyptian doctors prescribed.

B. The Ancient Egyptians used many different natural resources to treat various ailments, and one of the main ways we know this is through a historical medical text.

A. Many of us will remember that a papyrus is an ancient text written on a thick paper made from the fibers of a plant that grew in the Nile region of Egypt.

answer; i believe that the correct answer is (scientific data);

a. unlikely

for improbable?