Question

despite these setbacks, loorya and her team eventually began to uncover some interesting artifacts. in 2012, the team discovered a foundation wall, a network of wooden pipes, and several well bases dating to the eighteenth century. in august 2013, the archaeologists discovered thousands of objects in a single fifteen - foot stretch that was likely a garbage disposal ■40 site. including buttons from revolutionary war uniforms, clay pipes, and an imported mineral water bottle from germany. as they cleaned and catalogued the artifacts, the archaeologists took stock of their findings. the team’s discoveries provided a snapshot of ■41 the various kinds of construction materials that were used in the eighteenth century. colonial - era new yorkers went to great lengths to secure fresh drinking water, loorya noted, given the ■42 effort involved in laying wooden pipes to bring in fresh water from surrounding areas, digging very deep wells, brewing alcohol to mask the water’s salty taste, and even importing bottled water.
40
a) no change
b) site, among these were
c) site, including
d) site; including
41
which choice most effectively sets up the example discussed in the following sentence?
a) no change
b) the numerous rituals associated with hospitality
c) public utility planning and infrastructure development
d) how major construction projects were financed
42
which choice best maintains the style and tone of the passage?
a) no change
b) blood, sweat, and tears
c) hassle
d) feats of strength and fortitude

Explanation:

Question 40

To solve this, we analyze the sentence structure. The original "disposal site. Including" is incorrect as "including" should be part of the main clause. Option B creates a comma splice. Option D uses a semicolon incorrectly. Option C ("site, including") correctly connects the phrase, making the sentence flow as "a garbage disposal site, including buttons...", which is grammatically correct.

The following sentence gives examples of artifacts (buttons, clay pipes, mineral water bottle). We need a phrase that sets up these examples. Option A ("the various kinds of construction materials...") is about construction materials, but the examples are artifacts, not construction materials. Wait, no—wait, the artifacts are related to daily life, but the next part? Wait, no, the original underlined part is "the various kinds of construction materials that were used", but the examples are buttons (from uniforms), clay pipes, and a water bottle. Wait, maybe I misread. Wait, the question is "Which choice most effectively sets up the example discussed in the following sentence?" The following sentence (after the underlined part) is "Colonial - era New Yorkers went to great lengths to secure fresh drinking water...". Wait, no, the underlined part is in "The team’s discoveries provided a snapshot of 41 the various kinds of construction materials that were used...". Wait, no, the options: A is NO CHANGE, B is "the numerous rituals associated with hospitality", C is "public utility planning and infrastructure development", D is "how major construction projects were financed". The example after is about securing fresh water (laying pipes, digging wells, etc.), which is public utility infrastructure. So option C ("public utility planning and infrastructure development") sets up the example of water - related infrastructure efforts. Option A is about construction materials, which doesn't match the water - related example. B is about hospitality rituals, irrelevant. D is about financing construction, irrelevant.

The passage has a formal, academic tone. Option B ("blood, sweat, and tears") is too colloquial. Option C ("hassle") is informal. Option D ("feats of strength and fortitude") is overly dramatic. Option A ("effort") is formal and fits the tone of the passage which is discussing the archaeological findings and the efforts of Colonial - era New Yorkers in a serious, academic way.

Answer:

C) site, including

Question 41