Influences on Ideas in The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone
Question 5 • SS-English Language Arts 7
Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.Young had learned to read before he was two, and by the age of twenty had mastered a dozen foreign languages including Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. An inheritance from an uncle left him free to pursue his scientific interests. At various times, Young studied the habits of spiders, the surface features of the moon, and diseases of the chest. Then, intrigued by the challenge of the Rosetta Stone, he put aside his other studies and concentrated on attempting to decipher the writing on it. Young had read of de Sacy’s and Akerblad’s work in Paris, and was determined to succeed where they had failed.Based on the details in the excerpt, James Cross Giblin’s attitude toward Thomas Young is
Answer
A
positive because Young shows the skills and determination to figure out the inscriptions.
B
positive because Young is wealthy and has plenty of free time to pursue anything that interests him.
C
negative because Young lacks the experience needed to read foreign languages.
D
negative because Young is overconfident in his ability to succeed where others have failed.
Explanation
The excerpt emphasizes Young’s exceptional language skills: by age twenty, he had mastered a dozen languages. It also shows his determination, saying he set aside other studies to focus on deciphering the Rosetta Stone and was determined to succeed. These details convey a positive attitude toward Young’s ability and persistence, making “positive because Young shows the skills and determination to figure out the inscriptions” the best answer.
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