Question 123·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- British fossil collector Mary Anning discovered the fossilized skeleton of an ichthyosaur.
- The discovery occurred in 1811, when Anning was 12 years old.
- The find helped spark public interest in prehistoric life.
The student wants to add a sentence to specify how old Anning was at the time of the discovery. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For note-based rhetorical synthesis questions, identify the exact goal in the question stem (here, stating Anning’s age at the time of the discovery). Then locate the note that contains that specific detail and choose the option that directly and accurately incorporates it without omitting the required information or altering the facts.
Hints
Focus on the goal in the question
Underline the words in the question that state the goal: the student wants to "specify how old Anning was at the time of the discovery." Any correct answer must clearly do this.
Match the notes to the answer choices
Find the note that gives Anning’s age at the time of the discovery (and the year). Then choose the option that uses that detail accurately.
Eliminate partial or inaccurate matches
Eliminate choices that omit her age, and also eliminate any choice that states an age that doesn’t match the notes.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
The added sentence must specify how old Mary Anning was at the time of the discovery, so it needs to connect her age directly to the discovery event.
Pull the needed detail from the notes
The notes state that the discovery happened in 1811 and that Anning was 12 years old at that time.
Evaluate the choices against the goal
Eliminate choices that don’t give an age, and eliminate any choice that gives an age that doesn’t match the notes. The best choice should clearly tie the correct age to the discovery.
Choose the option that matches the notes and goal
The sentence that states she was 12 years old at the time of the 1811 discovery is:
In 1811, when she was 12 years old, Mary Anning discovered the fossilized skeleton of an ichthyosaur, helping to spark public interest in prehistoric life.