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
A. his words.
B. his actions
C. his reactions.
D. his conversations.
B. his actions.
The question asks about how James Cross Giblin characterizes Thomas Young in the excerpt from "The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone." To determine the answer, we need to examine the information provided in the excerpt.
The excerpt describes Thomas Young as a highly intelligent individual who had learned to read before the age of two and had mastered a dozen foreign languages by the age of twenty. It also mentions that Young had studied various subjects such as spiders, the moon, and diseases of the chest. However, he becomes specifically intrigued by the challenge of deciphering the writing on the Rosetta Stone and decides to concentrate his efforts on that.
Based on this information, we can conclude that the characterization of Thomas Young in the excerpt is primarily conveyed through his actions. He demonstrates his intellectual prowess by learning multiple languages and studying various subjects. Furthermore, his decision to focus on deciphering the Rosetta Stone shows his determination and curiosity.
Therefore, the correct answer is B. his actions.