SAT OwlQuestion bank / Command of Evidence
In a 1902 essay, naturalist Edwin Sorrell argues that close observation of ordinary places can be as rewarding as travel to distant lands. Sorrell makes this point when he writes, ______
Which quotation from Sorrell's essay most effectively illustrates his argument?
"I have crossed three oceans and climbed mountains on two continents, and I count those journeys among the best years of my life."
"Many naturalists of my generation were trained in the great museums of Europe."
"The traveler who wishes to see rare birds must be prepared for long and uncomfortable voyages."
"In a single square yard of my own garden I have found more wonders than I could catalog in a lifetime of looking."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
Sorrell's claim is that studying ordinary places closely can be as rewarding as distant travel. Choice D shows him finding endless "wonders" in one small patch of his own garden, which illustrates that claim.
Choice A praises distant travel, which is the other side of the comparison rather than evidence for the value of ordinary places.
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