What is the passage doing?
What is the author in the passage doing?
My take on comprehension:
It’s asking about the passage right, not about the author. We are looking for what the main idea is and what is passage doing right? So, in the passage it talks about why the meteorites cannot escape from Earth to the land. It says he used computer to see it. It means it’s a hypothesis right? And he is giving two reasons why the meteorites cannot escape the Earth.
What is wrong with choice (a) please?
The key word that makes it wrong is “support.” When a passage is supporting a hypothesis, it’s trying to prove that it’s true—like making a case and building evidence for it.
But in this passage, the tone isn’t persuasive. No one’s saying “here’s why this is definitely true.” Instead, the author is just walking us through a possibility—that maybe Earth rocks could reach Mars—and showing us how someone (Phinney) tried to estimate that with a simulation.
So the passage isn’t arguing for a hypothesis—it’s exploring a question and giving a possible answer. That’s why (B) is a better fit: “suggesting an answer to a theoretical question.”
To your other point: yes, “what is the passage doing?” or “what is the author doing?” both ask about the main purpose of the passage.
Thank you for your response.
So, does it mean that we cancel it because the author doesn’t have an opinion? Because Phinney is arguing that the rocks can’t escape Earth right?
If so, Is it same that mean that ‘What is the passage doing’ is same as ‘what is the author doing?’
A is wrong because no argument was made to support a hypothesis
To the second, not that’s entirely not accurate.
Phinney isn’t arguing that rocks can’t leave earth either.
He’s trying to provide an answer to the question of if rocks have left earth and hit mars
He states the energy required for the rocks to leave earth and then he gives an estimate of the likelihood of impact, if the rocks were to leave earth
To the third question;
They are different questions, but they both allude to the main purpose or main idea of the passage i.e why has the passage been written
