Answer the question!

I really struggle with English questions like this one. What's the strategy?

'The Vatican Museums house a great many valuable paintings, sculptures, and tapestries.' (the phrase in question is in bold)

Given that all the choices are true, which one best emphasizes the extent and worth of the museums' holdings?

A. NO CHANGE
B. thousands of invaluable
C. numerous important
D. a group of precious

Question from Crystal from Indiana

Easy, just check out page 14 of your ACT Black Book. See ya next time... Just kidding, here is the strategy:

For questions like this one, you need to answer exactly what the question asks. Don't worry about what seems to sound best or fits the passage best. Don't worry about grammar either. Just pay attention to the details of the question and find which answer fits.

In this question all answers seem pretty similar, but one stands out. That answer is B. Why?

The question wants the choice that empasizes "the extent and worth" (these are the key words here) of the holdings. Lets analyze each answer choice to show why B is correct.

A. "A great many valuable" - This choice gives some idea of worth by saying the art is valuable. It also gives some idea of the extent by saying "a great many". At the same time, this statement is pretty general. What is "a great many"? 50 items, 200 items, 1,000,000 items? This answer is OK, but we can do better.

C. "numerous important" - Just because an item is "important" does not mean it has any worth. Your toothbrush is important, but you can buy another for a few bucks. Also, "numerous" is a very weak word to explain the extent of the holdings.

D. "a group of precious" - The word "precious" somewhat explains the worth, but it is not an ideal choice. In addition, "a group of" is a very weak way to explain the extent.

B. "thousands of invaluable" - Here is our winner. "invaluable" is a solid way to explain the worth. Furthermore, "thousands of" is by far our most specific explanation of the extent of the collection. Here we have a number instead of the much more general terms we saw in the other options. This choice truly "best emphasizes the extent and worth of the holdings".