Question
Read the paragraph from Enrique's essay.
Perhaps no other beverage enjoys the highbrow history and special social significance that tea does. To trace its origins, we must travel back
in time to the Tang Dynasty in China, from the seventh to tenth centuries, where tea developed from its medical origins into the focus of both
cultural ceremony and philosophy. That same ceremonial role later carried over to aristocratic Britain in the seventeenth century, where tea became
the centerpiece of an afternoon ritual enjoyed on fine china.
At this point, Enrique is considering adding this sentence: "In many regions of the United States today, tea is a casual staple-available at
many different kinds of occasions, sometimes served sweetened and over ice."
Does this evidence support the claim presented in Enrique's paragraph?
• 1. No, because it includes a fact that contradicts the claim that tea has a "highbrow history."
• 2. Yes, because it introduces a detail that supports the claim that tea is used in "cultural ceremony."
• 3. No, because it introduces a personal anecdote unrelated to the claim that tea has "special social significance."
• 4. Yes, because it includes an example to support the claim that we need to look to the history of tea to "trace its origins."
Answer
The evidence does not support the claim presented in Enrique's paragraph because it introduces a personal anecdote unrelated to the claim that tea has "special social significance." Therefore, the correct answer is option 3.