Question

read this excerpt from paragraph 12 of passage 1.

revkin concluded, \im sure the organizers of the spirit of mawson trip were as careful as they could be, but was the trip important enough to justify the cost that is now mounting? i doubt it.\

what purpose does the rhetorical question in this excerpt serve?

○ to emphasize the author’s point that the trip cost too much and wasn’t important enough

○ to show that revkin doesn’t really understand how much the trip cost and why it was important

○ to present a counterpoint to the author’s argument that the trip was important even though it was costly

○ to encourage the reader to do more research to decide whether the trip was important enough to justify the cost

Explanation:

A rhetorical question is used to make a point rather than get an answer. Revkin's question "was the trip important enough to justify the cost that is now mounting? I doubt it" emphasizes his view that the trip's cost wasn't justified by its importance. The first option matches this purpose. The second option is wrong as Revkin is expressing his doubt about the trip's value, not showing misunderstanding. The third option is incorrect as it doesn't present a counterpoint but supports his doubt. The fourth option is wrong because rhetorical questions in such contexts don't encourage research but emphasize the speaker's point.

Answer:

to emphasize the author’s point that the trip cost too much and wasn’t important enough