Soulever vs lever; à l’aide de vs avec l’aide de

Question

Can you say "en levant [...] une des branches"? What's the difference between "lever" and "soulever"?

Also, just wondering why "avec l'aide de" isn't one of the accepted answers for the sentence "À l'aide de miettes de biscuit"?

Accepted Answer

The meaning of lever is broader than soulever. You may often times be able to substitute lever for soulever but not so frequently the other way.
lever -- to raisesoulever -- to lift up, to pick up

Answer

Bonjour Gee,
Chris is correct with the difference between "lever" and "soulever".
"À l'aide de miettes" is accepted but not "à l'aide des miettes..." (as per your exercise history) - here's why:

à l'aide de miettes = with the help of crumbs (as in the text/exercise) -> general sense
à l'aide des miettes = with the help of the crumbs -> specific crumbs

I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !