Question 121·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The first programmable electronic computer, ENIAC, was completed in 1945.
- ENIAC could perform about 5,000 additions per second, making it roughly 1,000 times faster than earlier mechanical calculators.
- The machine occupied about 1,800 square feet of floor space and weighed nearly 30 tons.
- Operators used plugboards and switches to reconfigure ENIAC so it could solve a variety of problems.
The student wants to highlight how ENIAC differed from earlier computing devices in terms of speed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, restate the goal in your own words (here: emphasize ENIAC’s speed advantage over earlier devices). Then choose the option that uses the most relevant note(s) and stays tightly focused—prefer sentences that include a direct comparison when the goal is to show a difference.
Hints
Focus on the goal
The sentence must emphasize ENIAC’s speed and how it compared to earlier devices.
Find the speed comparison in the notes
Look for the note that explicitly compares ENIAC to earlier mechanical calculators (not notes about size or reconfiguring).
Prefer the most complete support
If more than one option relates to speed, choose the one that best supports the point by including the strongest relevant details (a comparison plus a concrete measure).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing goal
The student wants to highlight how ENIAC differed from earlier computing devices in terms of speed.
So the best choice must emphasize speed and show how ENIAC was faster than earlier devices.
Locate the most relevant note(s)
The notes include a speed rate and a comparison:
- ENIAC performed about 5,000 additions per second.
- This was roughly 1,000 times faster than earlier mechanical calculators.
Evaluate which option best matches the goal
Options that mention only the rate (5,000 additions per second) describe speed but don’t clearly emphasize how ENIAC differed from earlier devices.
An option that mentions only 1,000 times faster provides a comparison but is less informative than using both the rate and the comparison together.
Choose the most effective synthesis
The option that combines the specific speed and the direct comparison most effectively highlights the difference in speed.
Correct answer: ENIAC performed about 5,000 additions per second—roughly 1,000 times faster than earlier mechanical calculators.