Sunderland College has historically had an outstanding football team. In its 50-year history, the team has had more winning seasons than any other team in the state. In the last 10 years, however, the team has been on an astoundingly rapid downward spiral-with eight losing seasons. Coach Wilson is unquestionably responsible for this losing streak. Since he was hired 10 years ago, the team has not won a single championship.it Coach Wilson is allowed to continue managing the team, there is little hope of a winning season in the near future.

Question

Which sentence best explains the effect of the words astoundingly and unquestionably in the passage?

1. They help the reader visualize how quickly the team declined.

2. They stress the degree to which Coach Wilson is incompetent.

3. They help the reader determine how many games the team has lost.

4. They stress the amazing skill of the team before Coach Wilson took over.

Answer 1

The sentence that best explains the effect of the words "astoundingly" and "unquestionably" in the passage is:

2. They stress the degree to which Coach Wilson is incompetent.

The use of "astoundingly" emphasizes the rapid decline of the team's performance, while "unquestionably" highlights the certainty of Coach Wilson's responsibility for that decline, both of which point to his incompetence as a coach.