Difficulty: Hard

Average Score: 47%

A teacher is evaluating the following excerpt from a student's expository writing.
[Paragraph 1] I love animals, but did you know that humans make life hard for lots of animals? We keep building more houses and stores, and we take up the food and space animals need to live. There are more endangered animals now than ever before. Humans need to make sure that the things they do help animals and not hurt them.
[Paragraph 2] The Amazon rain forest is being destroyed, too. Many loggers earn money to chop down the rain forest. It can't grow back fast enough. Chopping down trees for wood to build houses makes tons of animals out of their homes. Lots of animals need the rain forest to survive.

Which of the following is best described as a secondary source?

Rationale

A theater review is best described as a secondary source.

A theater review provides analysis, interpretation, and commentary on a performance, drawing upon the experience of the event rather than presenting firsthand information. This characteristic distinguishes it from primary sources, which offer direct accounts or original materials related to a subject.

A (A photograph collection) YOUR ANSWER

A photograph collection consists of original images capturing moments or subjects as they appeared, serving as primary sources. These photographs provide direct visual evidence of events, people, or places without any interpretation or analysis, making them foundational materials for study.

B (A diary entry) YOUR ANSWER

A diary entry is a personal account recorded by an individual, reflecting their thoughts, feelings, and experiences at a specific time. As such, it serves as a primary source since it offers direct insight into the writer's immediate perspectives and circumstances, rather than a secondhand interpretation.

C (A transcribed speech) YOUR ANSWER

A transcribed speech captures the exact words spoken by an individual, providing a verbatim account of their thoughts and ideas. This makes it a primary source, as it presents original material directly from the speaker without alteration or interpretation, allowing readers to engage with the content as it was originally delivered.

D (A theater review) CORRECT

A theater review evaluates and comments on a performance, summarizing its content and offering critical opinions. It utilizes the reviewer’s perspective to interpret the event, thus categorizing it as a secondary source since it relies on the primary experience of watching the performance to create its analysis.

Conclusion

In summary, a secondary source interprets or analyzes primary information rather than providing firsthand accounts. Among the choices given, a theater review fits this definition by offering a critical perspective on a performance rather than the original experience itself. In contrast, the other options—photographs, diary entries, and transcribed speeches—are all primary sources that provide direct evidence or accounts.

Which of the following is best described as a secondary source?

A theater review is best described as a secondary source.

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