In paragraph 2, the author writes, “The wave is incredibly tall, and its front edge appears to have a number of claw-like fingers extended and ready to attack.” This statement is intended to A. contradict an argument
B. support an earlier statement
C. answer a later question
D. introduce a new idea

Article:

Title: The Great Wave

Text:

Hokusai was a Japanese artist. He created one of the most famous Japanese artworks ever made. It is called The Great Wave off Kanagawa, more simply known as The Great Wave.

The title of Hokusai's artwork is very fitting. The wave in the picture is certainly great. It appears tremendously powerful and frightening. It towers over three boats full of fishermen. The fishermen brace themselves for impact. They know the wave is about to crash, and they must be prepared. The wave is incredibly tall, and its front edge appears to have a number of claw-like fingers extended and ready to attack. Far away in the background, we see a snow-covered mountain surrounded by a dark and cloudy sky. The mountain is called Mount Fuji—the highest mountain in Japan. Many people think that the wave and the mountain represent the power of nature. Many people say that the power of nature is evident in nearly all of Hokusai's artwork.

People often think The Great Wave is a painting, but it is not. It is a print made from a carved woodblock stamp. This means that the first thing the artist did was draw a design on paper. Then he carved the design into a block of wood. Next, he covered the carved block of wood with ink. Finally, he pressed the inked block against new paper. When the artist removed the inked block of wood from the paper, ink was left transferred to the paper according to the design that he carved into the wood. Relative to the creation of other forms of art (for example, in which paint is applied to canvas), this was a very complex process. Hokusai used this process to create several well-known prints, but none is as famous as The Great Wave.