Question

adapted from cats: their points and characteristics
by w. gordon stables
\are cats to be trusted?\
a question like this, which to kitty is a most momentous one,
affecting not only her comfort and happiness, but her standing
as a social pet and her very existence itself, cannot be treated
lightly in a work like mine. my own opinion is, and always has
been, that if cats are properly fed and cared for, they will do
anything rather than steal. however, i was not content with
providing just my own experience in this volume, since some
might say my cats have been exceptional. instead, i placed cats
in court, as it were, and given them a long, fair, and impartial
trial. for several months, i have summoned evidence for and
against cats honesty from people all throughout great britain
and ireland.
based on the information my participants provided, the verdict is
as follows: \cats are not as a rule thieves, but in fact, quite the
reverse.\ in most cases, when properly treated, cats are to be
trusted.
in every case investigated, where a feline theft was proven, it
18
select the correct answer.
what is most likely the authors purpose for including the underlined phrase?
a. he wanted to conclude his text.
b. he wanted to provide relevant evidence for his argument.
c. he wanted to explain the reasoning that logically connects his argument to his evidence.
d. he wanted to describe the main argument for this text.

Explanation:

The underlined phrase introduces a segment that will present verified cases of cat theft, which serves as evidence to support the author's overall argument about cat trustworthiness (by addressing counterevidence). Option A is wrong because it is not a conclusion. Option C is incorrect as it does not link argument to evidence, it is evidence itself. Option D is wrong because it does not state the main argument, which was already introduced earlier.

Answer:

B. He wanted to provide relevant evidence for his argument.