(1) In Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, the main character is Santiago. (2) He endures severe physical hardship
s. (3) The hardships come mainly in his fight with the great fish. (4) A painful loss is also suffered by him when sharks eat most of the great fish on the long journey back to shore. (5) Despite the suffering and loss, however, the novel is affirmative and hopeful, stressing the power of humans to reach for greatness and to inspire greatness in others. Which of the following best describes the writer’s intention in sentence 5 in relation to the rest of the passage? 1)to restate the opening sentence 2)to present an interpretation 3)to provide examples 4)to summarize the paragraph Which of the following is the best revision of the underlined portion of sentence 4? 1) A painful loss is also suffered by Santiago 2) A loss that is painful is also suffered by him 3) A painful loss that is suffered by him 4) He also suffers a painful loss
The author of the passage is providing an interpretation of the book in this sentence. He is arguing that the novel is affirmative and hopeful, and that it stresses the power of humans to reach for greatness and inspire others. This is never explicitly stated in the novel. Therefore, the argument is based on his subjective views and analysis.
4) He also suffers a painful loss.
This revision is the best one for sentence 4. It gives the reader the same idea as the other options. However, it is written more clearly and in an active voice.
