In Silent Spring, environmentalist Rachel Carson questions if humanity has the right to control nature. That book examines the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment.
Which choice most effectively combines the underlined sentences?
A book, Silent Spring, is written by an environmentalist, Rachel Carson, and examines the effects of pesticides, because she asks if humanity has the right to control nature.
In Silent Spring, a book that examines the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, environmentalist Rachel Carson questions if humanity has the right to control nature.
"Does humanity have the right to control nature?" is asked in a book entitled Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, an environmentalist who asks about the effects of pesticides.
A book, Silent Spring, that examines the detrimental effects of pesticides, and asks if humanity has the right to control nature, was written by environmentalist Rachel Carson.
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. It places the description of the book in an appositive phrase immediately following the title, allowing the main clause to focus on Carson's central question.
Choice A is incorrect because it is wordy and uses the passive voice ("is written by") unnecessarily. Choice C is incorrect because it focuses on the title of the essay rather than the author's argument and is syntactically awkward. Choice D is incorrect because it uses the passive voice and separates the subject from the verb with a long modifying phrase.