Question

the origins of cinema
one hundred years ago, cinema—a word that can mean movies in general or a movie theater itself—was a far more obscure form of entertainment. in the early 1900s movies were only beginning to enter the mainstream of american culture, and before that, films were almost non - existent. this short history makes cinema a relatively new medium, or form of expression. before the advent of film, almost all serious and literary expression was done through newspapers, books, and plays. eventually, movies would offer a more universal form of expression, one that could transcend time, space, and linguistic and cultural differences. hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world today have seen such popular and critically acclaimed films as the trilogy of the lord of the rings, spider - man and text cut off.
text about edison and invention cut off
read this excerpt from paragraph 4 of the passage.
legend has it that during the initial public showings of a movie that featured a train entering a station, people in the audience ducked and ran for cover.
in the excerpt, why does the author refer to the example of the train film as a legend?
options:

• to strengthen the believability of the train story
• to stress the impossibility of filming a train while it is moving
• to emphasize the significance of the train story to early filmmaking
• to acknowledge the lack of proof showing how audiences reacted to the train film

Explanation:

• Analyze each option:
• Option 1: The train - film legend (audiences ducking) shows early films’ realism, strengthening the story’s believability.
• Option 2: The passage doesn’t discuss filming a moving train’s impossibility.
• Option 3: The example focuses on audience reaction, not the story’s significance to early filmmaking.
• Option 4: The author uses the legend to illustrate, not acknowledge lack of proof of audience reaction.

Answer:

To determine the answer, we analyze each option:

1. Option "to strengthen the believability of the train story": The legend of the train film (audiences ducking) shows how impactful early films were, as they were so realistic people reacted as if the train was real. This strengthens the idea that early cinema had a powerful, believable effect.

1. Option "to stress the impossibility of filming a train while it is moving": The passage doesn't discuss filming feasibility, so this is incorrect.

1. Option "to emphasize the significance of the train story to early filmmaking": The example is about audience reaction, not the story's significance, so this is incorrect.

1. Option "to acknowledge the lack of proof showing how audiences reacted to the train film": The legend is about the reaction, not acknowledging lack of proof. The author uses it to illustrate, not admit lack of proof.

So the correct answer is the first option: to strengthen the believability of the train story.