A little over 2,200 years ago, the Roman navy attached the Greek port city of Syracuse. According to some ancient historians, the Greeks defended themselves with an ingenious weapon called a “burning mirror”: a polished copper surface curved to focus

The article is about the burning mirror that The Greek had built , which is made from smooth copper . The reading cast doubt on the effectiveness of such mirror. The article denies the possibility of building the mirror and provides three reasons of support. However, the professor explains that the burning mirror of Greek is an effective weapon, and refutes each of the author's reasons.

First, the reading claims that the Greek had no advanced technology to built a huge mirror with complex design. The professor refutes this points by explaining that the criteria of building a large size mirror could be too simple. He states that to build a big size mirror, the Greek could use small mirror's part and connect it to each other.

Second, the article posits that in order to set fire ship's wood by the burning mirror, sun light should be directed to stable ship for ten minutes. Therefore, it is not possible to set fire on any ship, because ships are always moving. However, the professor explains that the mirror could target the luting material of the ship which is made of material , that catches fire quickly. According to the professor, the mirror could set fire on a moving ship very fast.

Third, the reading says that the Greek had weapons, like flaming arrows, which is more effective than the burning mirror. That is why there was no reason for building the mirror. The professor opposes this by saying that Greek's enemies knew about the flaming arrows , and they were able to see the arrows from long distance , thus they could avoid the flames. We also learned that the mirror could be a strong weapon because it surprises the enemies, and it could set fire suddenly. The enemies will not expect the outcome of the mirror, and they will not be able to handle the fire.