The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

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The following text is adapted from Herman Melville's 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.

Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savant's disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

a)
It explains why one character dislikes another.
b)
It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.
c)
It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.
d)
It presents an account of a misunderstanding.

Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

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The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Con...

Choice A. This is too narrow. It doesn't include the second half of the text, where the savant gets into a conversation with the man and then finds out that the man is Sir Humphry Davy.

Choice B. This is too strong and too narrow. Only at the very end is the savant "thrown aback" by the fact that the man was Sir Humphry Davy-he's not "embarrassed about his own behavior".

Choice C. This isn't the main purpose. The text never provides the history of how Sir Humphry Davy came to be famous. Nor does it provide any history for the American savant.

Choice D. This is the best answer. The text tells a story of a first impression that turned out to be wrong: a serious American savant was dismissive of a goofy-looking, wisecracking guest at a British party, and then was shocked to learn that the guest was actually a prominent British chemist and inventor.

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The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Con...

Understanding the Main Purpose of the Text:

Explanation:
The main purpose of the text is to present an account of a misunderstanding that occurred between the grave American savant and Sir Humphry Davy. The savant initially viewed Davy as a coxcombical fellow due to his appearance and behavior at a party. However, upon engaging in conversation with Davy, the savant was surprised by Davy's good sense and intelligence. The text highlights the misconception and misjudgment made by the savant, emphasizing how appearances can be deceiving and how individuals should not form quick judgments based solely on superficial characteristics.
Therefore, the main purpose of the text is to showcase a situation where a character's initial impression of another individual was proven wrong upon further interaction, leading to a realization of the misunderstanding that took place.

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The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

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The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? for SAT 2025 is part of SAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the SAT exam syllabus. Information about The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for SAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?.

Solutions for The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for SAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for SAT Exam by signing up for free.

Here you can find the meaning of The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice The following text is adapted from Herman Melvilles 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor.Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savants disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?a)It explains why one character dislikes another.b)It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.c)It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.d)It presents an account of a misunderstanding.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice SAT tests.

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