Question

select the passage that has a more informative tone.
the \standing - sitting dive\ must be made from a good diving board. the diver stands at the edge of the board with his or her arms straight down. the hands should be at right angles to the arms, the palms downward.
the young man darted from his dressing room like a sprite and dived into the pool. his body made no splash, but entered the water like a beam of light, refracting as he swam underwater.
adapted from frank eugen dalton and louis c. dalton, swimming scientifically taught: a practical manual for young and old and john t. wheelwright, \the roman bath\

Explanation:

An informative tone aims to teach or explain facts clearly. The first passage describes the "standing-sitting dive" with specific, instructional details (e.g., position of arms, hands) from a practical manual, which is informative. The second passage uses descriptive, figurative language (e.g., "like a sprite," "beam of light") for narrative effect, not to inform about dive technique.

Answer:

The first passage: "The 'standing-sitting dive' must be made from a good diving board. The diver stands at the edge of the board with his or her arms straight down. The hands should be at right angles to the arms, the palms downward."