Question

12th grade post - assessment
discovered in 82 broken, corroded pieces — along with a shipwreck full of other treasures, such as marble, pottery, and coins — the damaged artifact was initially disregarded. it wasnt until 1951 that the antikythera mechanism began to garner interest. after two decades of study, physicist and historian derek de solla price published the first research on the antikythera mechanism in 1974, and the artifact gained the renewed interest of scientists worldwide. due to its eroded, fragmented state, which comprised only a third of the original instrument, scientists struggled to understand the devices inner workings.
however, modern technologies have helped decode the once inscrutable artifact. by analyzing the 82 remaining pieces, scientists concluded that the original antikythera mechanism consisted of at least 30 bronze interlocking gears. the gears sat in a wooden compartment about the size of a modern - day shoebox. a 2006 study led by tony freeth, a mechanical engineer at the university college london, brought more clarity to the devices purpose. freeth and the ucl antikythera research team used surface imaging and high - resolution x - ray computed tomography (ct), or detailed internal imaging, to discover more about the back of the device. their study found two large dials on the back cover. the large upper dial consisted of a metonic cycle calendar, which covered a 19 - year span and 235 moon phases, and a smaller, related dial tracking the olympic games. the large lower dial was a 223 - month saros dial used to predict the dates of solar and lunar eclipses. the x - ray ct scans also revealed previously unseen inscriptions on the back of the artifact that acted as a user manual for the device.
assessment questions
which of the following best describes the likely purpose of paragraph 3?
a. to highlight how scientists used internal and surface imaging to determine the purposes of the 30 gears in the mechanism
b. to show how scientists used internal and surface imaging to better understand the dials on the back of the mechanism
c. to explain why x - ray scans were more informative than surface scans for scientists studying the mechanism
d. to explain the differences between x - ray computed tomography and detailed internal imaging

Explanation:

To determine the purpose of paragraph 3 (the second given paragraph, likely labeled as paragraph 3 in the original context), we analyze each option:

• Option A: The paragraph focuses on the dials and inscriptions, not the 30 gears' purposes. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The study by Freeth used imaging to understand the back of the mechanism (dials, inscriptions), which matches the content.
• Option C: The paragraph doesn't compare x - ray and surface scans' informativeness. Eliminate C.
• Option D: It doesn't explain the difference between x - ray CT and detailed internal imaging (they are described as part of the same study method). Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. to show how scientists used internal and surface imaging to better understand the dials on the back of the mechanism