Question 128·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Nineteenth-century mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote what is widely regarded as the first algorithm intended for a computing machine.
- Twentieth-century computer scientist Rear Admiral Grace Hopper invented the first compiler and later helped create the programming language COBOL.
- Both Lovelace and Hopper emphasized that computers should be programmed with language that is clear and understandable to people without advanced mathematical training.
- Lovelace worked exclusively with Charles Babbage’s theoretical Analytical Engine, which was never built in her lifetime.
- Hopper served in the United States Navy, where she famously traced an error in the Mark II computer to an actual moth, popularizing the term “debugging.”
The student wants to underscore how, despite working in very different eras and circumstances, Lovelace and Hopper shared a common goal for programming. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to achieve this purpose?
For rhetorical synthesis questions with notes, first restate the task in your own words so you know exactly what the sentence must accomplish (for example, show contrast plus a shared goal). Then quickly scan the notes to find the one or two bullets that directly match that purpose—especially anything that applies to both people or both situations. Evaluate each answer choice by asking: (1) Does it clearly do the specific job the question describes? (2) Is every detail supported by the notes? Eliminate options that add unsupported claims, leave out the key idea (like the shared goal), or focus on side details, and choose the one that is both accurate and most directly aligned with the stated purpose.
Hints
Focus on the exact purpose stated
Underline or mentally highlight the key part of the question: you need a sentence that shows different eras/circumstances and a shared goal about programming. Eliminate any choices that only do one of these.
Locate the note about their common goal
Look back at the bullet points and find the one that directly mentions something both Lovelace and Hopper emphasized about programming. Ask yourself: which choice actually uses that idea?
Watch for choices that change the focus
Be cautious of options that emphasize biography (who they worked with, where they served) or historical progression (who came first or who superseded whom) rather than their shared aim in how programming should be done.
Check for accuracy, not just nice-sounding language
Make sure the choice does not claim anything the notes don’t support, like saying someone created a full programming language when the notes only say they wrote an algorithm.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify the task and purpose
The question tells you exactly what the student wants to do: underscore how, despite working in very different eras and circumstances, Lovelace and Hopper shared a common goal for programming.
So the right answer must do two things:
- Show that Lovelace and Hopper worked in different eras/circumstances.
- Show that they shared a common goal about programming.
Any choice that does only one of these—or brings in unrelated details—is not correct.
Find relevant information in the notes
Scan the notes and match them to the two needs:
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Different eras/circumstances:
- Lovelace: "Nineteenth-century mathematician" and worked on Babbage’s theoretical Analytical Engine, which was never built.
- Hopper: "Twentieth-century computer scientist," invented a compiler, helped create COBOL, and served in the United States Navy with the "debugging" story. These show different times and work settings.
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Shared common goal:
- The crucial note is: "Both Lovelace and Hopper emphasized that computers should be programmed with language that is clear and understandable to people without advanced mathematical training."
The best answer must clearly use both types of information, especially that shared emphasis on clear, understandable language.
Test each choice against the purpose and notes
Now check how well each option fits the stated purpose and stays true to the notes:
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Choice A: Says they each created "user-friendly programming languages" and calls Lovelace’s work a "programming language." The notes say Lovelace wrote an algorithm for a theoretical machine, not that she created a programming language. It also doesn’t explicitly highlight their shared goal—it focuses on what they created, not what they aimed for.
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Choice C: Focuses on Lovelace’s collaboration with Babbage and Hopper’s Navy service and the term "debugging." That shows different settings but says nothing about a shared programming goal. It misses the key note about clear, understandable language.
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Choice D: Claims Hopper’s compiler "superseded" Lovelace’s algorithm and turns the sentence into a story of how methods evolved over time. The notes never say the compiler superseded her algorithm, and this focuses on historical progression, not on a common goal they shared.
All three of these either misuse information, leave out the shared goal, or change the focus away from what the question asks.
Confirm the best remaining choice
The remaining choice is B. It:
- Contrasts their different circumstances: Lovelace wrote an algorithm for an unbuilt machine; Hopper created software for operational computers.
- Clearly states their shared goal: both wanted to make programming more accessible by using clearer language, which directly echoes the note about programming being understandable to people without advanced mathematical training.
Therefore, the correct answer is: Although Lovelace wrote an algorithm for an unbuilt machine and Hopper devised software for operational computers, both sought to make programming more accessible through clearer language.