Question

Look at paragraph 4 of the excerpt.

(4) Each day they got worse; soon it became clear that mere adjectives could not convey any idea of their terrors.
Therefore I devised a mosquito gauge. I held up a bare hand for 5 seconds by the watch, then counted the number of
borers on the back; there were 5 to 10. Each day added to the number, and when we got out to the Buffalo country, there
were 15 to 25 on the one side of the hand and elsewhere in proportion. On the Nyarling, in early July, the number was
increased, being now 20 to 40. On A lake, later that month, there were 50 to 60. But when we reached the Barren Grounds,
the land of open breezy plains and cold water lakes, the pests were so bad that the hand held up for 5 seconds often
showed from 100 to 125 long-billed mosquitoes boring away into the flesh. It was possible to number them only by killing
them and counting the corpses. What wonder that all men should avoid the open plains, that are the kingdom of such a
scourge.
How does this show the author refining his idea?
This shows the author refining his idea by

Answer 1

The author refines his idea by inventing a 'mosquito gauge' that quantifies the mosquito problem, providing an empirically precise measure of the situation's worsening.

Step-by-step explanation:

The author in paragraph 4 refines his idea by developing a quantifiable method to communicate the severity of the mosquito problem. This scientific approach enhances the description's precision, as the mosquito gauge employs counting the number of mosquito bites within a specific time frame to illustrate the increasing intensity of the issue. Such detail not only provides clarity but also emphasizes the escalating distress faced by the individuals in the mosquito-infested regions.

Answer 2

providing data that shows an increasing problem as he travels north.

Step-by-step explanation: