Question

read the excerpt from \tools of the spymaster.\

general clinton, concerned about what general howe was planning and doing, made use of a mask to write a secret message in a letter to general burgoyne.

before writing the letter, clinton had placed an hourglass-shaped mask on a piece of paper and then had formed the secret message within that shape.

the unmasked letter had enough false information in it to fool any american who happened to see it. but when burgoyne viewed the letter with the mask, he read clintons view of the real situation: howe has made a bad move; i dont have enough men to do anything about it.

which statement contains explicit information from the text?

general howe was a complete failure during the war.
general burgoyne was a better officer than general howe.
general clinton sent a letter to general burgoyne by messenger.
general clinton used a mask to write a secret message.

Explanation:

Analyze the question prompt

The question asks to identify which statement contains explicit information from the provided text. Explicit information is directly and clearly stated in the text without requiring any inferences or assumptions.

Evaluate the first option

The first option states: "General Howe was a complete failure during the war."

• Looking at the text, it mentions: "Howe has made a bad move."
• Saying someone made a "bad move" is not the same as stating they were a "complete failure during the war." This is an exaggeration and is not explicitly stated.

Evaluate the second option

The second option states: "General Burgoyne was a better officer than General Howe."

• The text does not compare the abilities or ranks of General Burgoyne and General Howe. This statement is an opinion or inference not supported directly by any explicit text.

Evaluate the third option

The third option states: "General Clinton sent a letter to General Burgoyne by messenger."

• The text mentions that General Clinton "made use of a mask to write a secret message in a letter to General Burgoyne."
• However, the text does not mention how the letter was delivered (e.g., by a messenger). Therefore, this is not explicitly stated.

Evaluate the fourth option

The fourth option states: "General Clinton used a mask to write a secret message."

• The text explicitly states: "General Clinton... made use of a mask to write a secret message in a letter to General Burgoyne."
• This directly matches the fourth option, making it the correct explicit statement using Textual Evidence to support our Reading Comprehension.

Answer:

• General Howe was a complete failure during the war.
• (B) General Burgoyne was a better officer than General Howe.
• (C) General Clinton sent a letter to General Burgoyne by messenger.
• General Clinton used a mask to write a secret message. (Correct answer)