While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
● Sam Maloof (1916–2009) was an American woodworker and furniture designer.
● He was the son of Lebanese immigrants.
● He received a “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1985.
● The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, owns a rocking chair that Maloof made from walnut wood.
● The armrests and the seat of the chair are sleek and contoured, and the back consists of seven spindle-like slats.
The student wants to describe the rocking chair to an audience unfamiliar with Sam Maloof. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Explanation
Answer: 1) With its sleek, contoured armrests and seat, the walnut rocking chair in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is just one piece of furniture created by American woodworker Sam Maloof.
Goal: Describe the rocking chair to an audience unfamiliar with Maloof.
Why? For an unfamiliar audience, you need to identify the maker. Choice 1 describes the chair and introduces Maloof as its creator.
Traps:
- B) Dates without context → poor introduction
- C) About award → not about the chair
- D) Chair description only → missing maker context