Question

when astronomers at nasa released the first images from the james webb space telescope in 2022, the public conversation quickly centered on color: were the vivid reds and blues what the universereally looks like? rather than dismissing that question as naive, an article on the topic notes how decades of hubble images have trained viewers to equate saturated color with scientific discovery. it then explains that webbs instruments actually record infrared light invisible to human eyes and that any image must translate those signals into a visible palette. by tracing how past telescopes shaped our expectations even as it describes webbs technical capabilities, the article argues that each new observatory not only extends our knowledge of the cosmos but also reshapes the visual language through which that knowledge is made public.

5
which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
a it introduces a limitation of hubble in order to explain why webb was designed to observe a different part of the spectrum.
b it shows that popular expectations about colorful space photographs arise from earlier hubble imagery.
c it acknowledges how hubble imagery shaped public expectations about color, preparing for the passages argument that webb will disrupt those expectations.
d it addresses the publics question about color as naive so that the author can shift attention to webbs technical capabilities.

Explanation:

• Option A: The underlined sentence doesn't discuss Hubble's limitations or Webb's spectrum observation design. Eliminate A.
• Option B: While it mentions Hubble imagery's role in color expectations, it doesn't capture the link to Webb disrupting those expectations, which is part of the passage's argument. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The underlined sentence says Hubble images trained viewers to equate saturated color with scientific discovery (shaping public expectations about color). The passage then argues Webb reshapes the visual language (disrupting those expectations). This option correctly connects the underlined sentence's function to the passage's argument.
• Option D: The underlined sentence does not dismiss the public's question as naive; instead, it explains the origin of the expectation. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. It acknowledges how Hubble imagery shaped public expectations about color, preparing for the passage's argument that Webb will disrupt those expectations.