Question

Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.

Young had learned to read before he was two, and by the age of twenty had mastered a dozen foreign languages including Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. An inheritance from an uncle left him free to pursue his scientific interests. At various times, Young studied the habits of spiders, the surface features of the moon, and diseases of the chest. Then, intrigued by the challenge of the Rosetta Stone, he put aside his other studies and concentrated on attempting to decipher the writing on it.

In this excerpt, James Cross Giblin characterizes Thomas Young through

his words.
his actions
his reactions.
his conversations

Answer 1

In this excerpt, James Cross Giblin characterizes Thomas Young through his actions.

The text describes Young's exceptional ability to learn languages and his mastery of a dozen foreign languages including Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. It also highlights his scientific pursuits such as studying spiders, surface features of the moon, and diseases of the chest. These actions and accomplishments help to establish Young's character and set the stage for his interest in deciphering the writing on the Rosetta Stone.