Lance Woods Carson
The grammatical errors in this passage are intentional.
When the bus stopped at the entrance to Muir Woods National Monument, I sighed, utterly defeated. 1I would've written a twelve-page paper about Muir Woods, presented with the option, over actually hiking through them. Spending time in nature had never been my 2thing. I declined invitations to go camping, disliked dirt under my fingernails, and 3I fear most birds and bugs. I was convinced that very little would change this, but then I saw my first coast redwood, or Sequoia sempervirens, and fell in love. 4
In a report summarizing my trip to Muir Woods National Monument, I called Muir Woods my new favorite place on Earth—and I meant it. The trees were beautiful and the history was fascinating. I know I 5was going back someday, perhaps with my family, to hike the trails and enjoy nature without fear of attack by angry birds or unfriendly insects.
I gazed at 6the more enormous tree I'd ever seen in absolute awe. 7 8My teacher, Mr. Longfellow told my class that the tallest tree in Muir Woods was 258 feet tall and approximately 1,200 years old. I stepped backward and took in my stunning surroundings. Perhaps this trip would be better than I had anticipated.
My classmates and I followed our tour guide down a dirt path, 9pausing to photograph the sunlight seeping through the crowded canopy. We read plaques about the park's history, wildlife, and most famous supporters. US Congressman William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth, purchased almost six hundred acres of the redwood forest in the early 1900s to protect 10them from destruction by a nearby water company. 11They donated three hundred acres to the federal government in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt declared Muir Woods a national monument.
I became further enamored with Muir Woods when 12our guide said, The species of birds in the woods are limited. 13He explained that tannin deterred many insects from living on the forest floor, a bitter compound found in redwood tree bark. It also prevented many plants from growing or bearing fruit; 14therefore, birds tended to live elsewhere.
Question
[9] Choose the best revision, if one is needed.
Responses
A NO CHANGENO CHANGE
B pausing to take pictures with our cameras of the sunlight seeping through the tops of the trees overhead
C stopping for a moment to take pictures of the sun's rays making their way through the tops of the trees above our headsstopping for a moment to take pictures of the sun's rays making their way through the tops of the trees above our heads
D pausing for a few seconds to snap pictures of the sun's shining bright rays seeping through the crowded canopy over our headspausing
1 answer
The best revision for sentence [9] is:
A NO CHANGE
This option maintains the clarity and flow of the original sentence while conveying the intended meaning effectively. The other options introduce unnecessary complexity or verbosity that detracts from the overall simplicity and clarity of the description.
