In 1901, an assortment of artifacts was recovered from a 2,000-year-

Question

In 1901, an assortment of artifacts was recovered from a 2,000-year-old shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. Among them were calcified clumps of corroded bronze that proved to be fragments of an ancient astronomical device, a device now referred to as the Antikythera mechanism. When archaeologists removed the corroded material, they uncovered not only gears and dials but also an inscription that allowed them to date the mechanism to the first century BCE. At first, this inscription appeared unsurprising, given the historical timeline of Greek navigation as well as the site of the artifact's discovery. Had it not been for the complexity of the artifact's gear system, archaeologists would have had every reason to misjudge the significance of this find. However, there was clear physical indication that a gear tooth was missing from one part of the device and that the mechanism had been mended in another place; the mechanical knowledge required to create and maintain such an instrument far exceeded what had been credited to the Greeks, based on ancient Greek texts, at the time of the shipwreck.

Over a century later, archaeologists used X-ray tomography to aid their analysis. This technique enabled them to penetrate the corrosion and expose more inscriptions, to create digital images of the device, and ultimately to reconstruct a three-dimensional model that showed the position of the gears. The analysis appeared to confirm not only the original hypothesis that the Antikythera mechanism was some sort of astronomical device but also that the ancient Greeks had knowledge of clock-making techniques and had used the mechanism as a rudimentary computer to predict eclipses and record an anomaly of the moon's motion.

Over a century later, archaeologists used X-ray tomography to aid their analysis. This technique enabled them to penetrate the corrosion and expose more inscriptions, to create digital images of the device, and ultimately to reconstruct a three-dimensional model that showed the position of the gears. The analysis appeared to confirm not only the original hypothesis that the Antikythera mechanism was some sort of astronomical device but also that the ancient Greeks had knowledge of clock-making techniques and had used the mechanism as a rudimentary computer to predict eclipses and record an anomaly of the moon's motion.     1 
 1. The passage suggests that the Antikythera mechanism is significant because it

A. indicated that scholars may have misinterpreted other information in Greek texts 
B. confirmed that the dating of other shipwreck artifacts may be imprecise
C. suggested that the timeline of ancient Greek technological innovation needed revision 
D. exposed the sophistication of ancient Greek navigational techniques
E. raised the question of whether the artifact was produced by the Greeks or acquired by them

2 
 2The author most likely mentions the mending of the Antikythera mechanism in order to

A. accuse archeologists of fabricating evidence
B. explain why archeologists were able to deduce the state of ancient Greek technology 
C. stress the effectiveness of the technology used to reconstruct the artifact
D. explain why archaeologists initially failed to recognize the importance of the discovery
E.suggest that further analysis of the artifact may yield important results

3 
 3. According to the passage, which of the following played a role in confirming the function of the Antikythera mechanism?

A. Realizing that the mechanism had been mended
B. Dating the site of discovery to the first century BCE
C. Discovering an inscription that described an unusual feature of lunar motion
D. Appreciating the complexity of the artifact's gear system
E. Digitally visualizing inscriptions on the device

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RC Questions Everyday.   
Passage # 82 Date: 26-Feb-2021
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brains · Accepted Answer

1. The passage suggests that the Antikythera mechanism is significant because it

A. indicated that scholars may have misinterpreted other information in Greek texts
B. confirmed that the dating of other shipwreck artifacts may be imprecise
C. suggested that the timeline of ancient Greek technological innovation needed revision
D. exposed the sophistication of ancient Greek navigational techniques
E. raised the question of whether the artifact was produced by the Greeks or acquired by them
 Inference question: Hence my strategy is to go for direct answer rather than PoE. refer 1st para last Sentence clause as:;the mechanical knowledge required ...."  exceeded what had been credited to the Greeks, based on ancient Greek texts, at the time of the shipwreck.  This clearly indicates that it needs revision. Hence answer is C

2 The author most likely mentions the mending of the Antikythera mechanism in order to

A. accuse archeologists of fabricating evidence  Accuse is a very strong word. Eliminate as no indication as such 
B. explain why archeologists were able to deduce the state of ancient Greek technology  This is what we are looking for because with the help of mechanism they able to deduce that their knowledge what they have been missing 
C. stress the effectiveness of the technology used to reconstruct the artefact (  Mechanism reveals something which they might have missed. Hence Eliminate 
D. explain why archaeologists initially failed to recognise the importance of the discovery  The mechanism is significant to reveal something a stated . No reason why they failed

E.suggest that further analysis of the artefact may yield important results  I was stuck in this but then i eliminated because purpose of The mechanism is important to know that why repairs unravelled the knowledge of Greeks. It is not to suggest further analysis may yield results

Hence answer should be B

3. According to the passage, which of the following played a role in confirming the function of the Antikythera mechanism?

A. Realising that the mechanism had been mended
B. Dating the site of discovery to the first century BCE
C. Discovering an inscription that described an unusual feature of lunar motion
D. Appreciating the complexity of the artifact's gear system
E. Digitally visualizing inscriptions on the device

This is pretty easy one. Refer 2nd para 2nd sentence " to create digital images of the device, and ultimately to reconstruct a three-dimensional model that showed the position of the gears  " . It clearly indicates that the function was obtained with the help of digital visualisation of inscriptions. Hence E should be the answer,

Please hit Kudos if you like the answer

shauryahanda · Answer

I don't think que 1 is actually a good que cause the real use of the device was to show the knowledge and technical acumen the Greeks possessed

While option D is narrow in the sense it shows Just the Feet Greeks have covered in NAVIGATIONAL SECTOR
insistence of option C on "change in time line" makes it awkward and change the the focus.

I still went ahead with D as I felt that it was the 'Best out of Worst'

I would however request Moderators to weigh in

VeritasKarishma  ,  Sajjad1994  ,  EducationAisle

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. The passage suggests that the Antikythera mechanism is significant because it

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The right answer will refer to the Greeks' having greater technical knowledge than was believed.

Evaluate the Answer Choices:

Choice (C)  matches our prediction and is correct.

Choice (A)  is a distortion. It is appealing because it indirectly refers to the discrepancy between the previous and revised timelines of ancient Greek technology, but it presumes that the information in ancient texts was misinterpreted rather than missing or inadequate. The passage makes no such claim.

Choice (B)  is out of scope. Nothing in the passage suggests that this artifact or any other was incorrectly dated. In fact, the passage strongly implies that the dating of this mechanism was correct.

Choice (D)  is too narrow. The Antikythera mechanism may well have been used for navigation, but the  second paragraph  says that the findings reveal the state of the Greeks' clock-making, computational, and astronomical technology as well.

Choice (E)  is out of scope. The passage does not question the attribution of the Antikythera mechanism to the Greeks.

Answer: C

VerbalBot · Answer

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In 1901, an assortment of artifacts was recovered from a 2,000-year-

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In 1901, an assortment of artifacts was recovered from a 2,000-year-

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