Question

Read the rough-draft paragraph. Popcorn first gained popularity in the United States during the Great Depression. Sugar had become an expensive commodity that most Americans could no longer afford. So, instead of snacking on sweet candies, people turned to popped corn for a satisfying snack. A dash of salt and a sprinkle of melted butter made the treat delicious and hard to resist. Of course, they should have skipped the salt and butter, but they didn’t really know about the potential health problems of these additions. The dangers of salt and trans fats has only recently been uncovered. Thankfully, we have the knowledge we need to make healthy decisions about the foods we eat.
Which revision would most improve this paragraph?
A) adding a topic sentence to the paragraph
B)rewriting sentences that stray from the focus of the paragraph
C)fixing spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors in the paragraph
D) adding transitions to connect ideas within the paragraph

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. Rewriting sentences that stray from the focus of the paragraph

Explanation:

The paragraph presented starts with a  topic sentence that is "Popcorn first gained popularity in the United States during the Great Depression", after this sentence the author explains the circumstances in which this occurred by stating popcorn was a cheap alternative to sweet candies that were expensive during this period. Then the author claims people used to add salt and butter to make popcorn delicious, but this had negative effects on people health that were discovered later. This section of the paragraph needs to be revised as the fact people did not know about trans fats is not connected to the topic sentence that is the way popcorn become popular in the U.S., therefore, the best way to improve this paragraph is by "rewriting sentences that stray from the focus of the paragraph", that in this case are those that deal with the trans fats and are not related to the main idea of the paragraph.

Answer 2

The answer would be b