1From an early age, Briony loved being in the water. Some of her fondest memories were of swimming at her grandfather’s lake and
splashing through the water with her siblings. Her mother taught all the children how to dive safely off the dock. Briony loved the feeling of jumping high into the air and slicing through the water. It made her feel like a powerful rocket soaring through the sky. She enjoyed diving so much that she started training with a coach at the community swim club. Evelyn was a world champion diver who had been an alternate on the United States Olympic team. From the moment she saw Briony dive from the springboard, she immediately recognized the young girl’s potential. Briony was so elegant; it was like watching a crane diving into the water to snatch a fish. Briony and Evelyn worked together for several years to get Briony’s diving career off to a good start. 2After winning several junior competitions, Evelyn realized that Briony was talented enough to achieve the ultimate goal: making the Olympic diving team. Briony would not be eligible to compete at such a high level for years, so the coach discussed adding another event to Briony’s repertoire. Since debuting at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the sport of synchronized diving became a sensation across the world. The sport features two divers who attempt to perform identical or mirrored dives. Evelyn explained that it was an extremely difficult sport, but she felt Briony could master it easily. Always up for a challenge, Briony agreed.
How might the structure of the first passage best be distinguished from that of the second passage?
A) Only the first passage is really about the Mississippi River.
B) The first passage is descriptive; the second passage is discursive.
C) The first passage is informational; the second passage is fictional.
D) Only the second passage contains real content, instead of just meaningless facts.
<em>How might the structure of the first passage best be distinguished from that of the second passage?</em>
<em>The correct answer is B) The first passage is descriptive; the second passage is discursive.</em>
<em>The first passage is descriptive. This passage describes how Briony started to realize that she was skillful for swimming. Since her mother started teaching her to dive, this passage explains how she found her passion for swimming, “Briony loved the feeling of jumping high into the air and slicing through the water”. And how this passion took her to train with coach Evelyn </em>
<em>The second passage is discursive because it deals with several topics. For example, Briony winning several junior competitions, Evelyn realizing Briony was talented enough to be eligible for the Olympics, synchronized diving debut at the 2000 Olympics, Evelyn thinking that Briony could master synchronized diving. Another point that makes this passage discursive is that the transitions from idea to idea are smooth.
</em>
The type of writing that a first-person point of view would be least appropriate would be a research report. A personal narrative and a journal entry is appropriate for first person point of view. The correct answer is C.
