Question 10·Easy·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
-
In 2002, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology launched eBird, a website where birdwatchers record the birds they see.
-
Scientists use eBird records to study changes in bird migration patterns.
-
In 2010, the Zooniverse platform launched Snapshot Serengeti, a project in which volunteers identify animals in motion-triggered camera photos.
-
Researchers use Snapshot Serengeti classifications to estimate wildlife populations.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between eBird and Snapshot Serengeti. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, first restate the task in your own words (here, “show what the two projects have in common”). Then identify the one or two note details that match that purpose, and choose the option that includes those details for both subjects without adding extra focus (like a contrast word) or drifting into only one subject.
Hints
Look for overlap
Scan the notes for an action that appears in both bullet-point sets.
Avoid single-project summaries
Eliminate choices that describe only eBird or only Snapshot Serengeti.
Check the focus
Prefer a choice that explicitly connects the two projects in one sentence and keeps the emphasis on what they share.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the goal
The sentence must emphasize a similarity between the two projects, not focus on only one project or mainly highlight differences.
Pull the shared idea from the notes
In the notes, both projects involve volunteers (birdwatchers or photo classifiers) who provide information, and researchers/scientists use that information to study patterns or estimate populations.
Choose the option that states that shared idea
Only one choice directly combines both projects and highlights their shared reliance on volunteer-contributed data used by researchers: Both eBird and Snapshot Serengeti rely on volunteers to contribute observations that researchers then use in scientific studies.