Question 131·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- In 1977, NASA launched the spacecraft Voyager 1.
- In 1979, astrophysicist Linda Morabito was examining images sent back by Voyager 1.
- She detected towering plumes rising from Jupiter’s moon Io.
- The plumes revealed that Io was volcanically active, providing the first confirmation of geologic activity on a world beyond Earth.
- Subsequent analysis showed the eruptions were among the most powerful in the solar system.
The student wants to highlight the significance of Morabito’s discovery in a research paper. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by underlining the exact goal in the question stem (here, “highlight the significance of Morabito’s discovery”). Then scan the notes and mark the bullet(s) that explain why the event matters (often signaled by words like “first,” “led to,” “as a result,” “therefore”). When checking the answer choices, quickly eliminate any that (1) don’t match the required focus (wrong person, wrong event), (2) leave out the key significance idea you identified, or (3) spend words on side details from the notes. The correct answer will be the one that most directly and completely states both the main actor/event and its importance, with no extra or missing pieces.
Hints
Focus on the exact writing goal
The question is not asking for a general fact about Voyager 1 or Io; it specifically wants to highlight the significance of Morabito’s discovery. Keep both “significance” and “Morabito” in mind.
Locate the most important note
Which bullet in the notes explains why the discovery mattered, not just what happened? Look for words that indicate something happened for the first time.
Check each option against the key idea
As you read each answer, ask: does it (1) name Morabito, and (2) clearly show that her discovery was an important first in our understanding of other worlds, rather than just describing eruptions or the spacecraft?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task in the question
The question says the student wants to highlight the significance of Morabito’s discovery in a research paper. That means the best sentence must:
- Focus on Morabito and her role.
- Explain why her discovery was important, not just what happened.
So you are not just looking for a fact about Voyager or Io—you need a statement that captures the importance of what Morabito found.
Find the note that explains the discovery’s importance
Look at the notes and ask: which bullet tells you why the discovery matters?
- One key bullet says that the plumes "provided the first confirmation of geologic activity on a world beyond Earth."
This idea of "first confirmation" or "first proof" is exactly the kind of significance the question wants you to highlight. A strong answer will include both Morabito’s discovery and this "first proof" idea.
Match the answer choices to the goal and key notes
Now compare each option to the task and the key note:
- Does it clearly mention Morabito and her discovery?
- Does it clearly show why that discovery was important (the first confirmation of geologic activity beyond Earth)?
- Does it avoid shifting the focus to less important details (like the launch date or how powerful the eruptions are)?
Eliminate any choices that:
- Don’t mention Morabito at all,
- Don’t mention that this was the first proof/confirmation of activity beyond Earth, or
- Focus mainly on Voyager, Io, or the eruptions instead of the significance of Morabito’s discovery.
Select the choice that fully captures the significance
The only option that directly names Linda Morabito, describes what she did (discovering volcanic plumes on Io in Voyager 1 images), and clearly states the significance ("offering the first proof that a world beyond Earth is geologically active") is:
A) While analyzing Voyager 1 images in 1979, astrophysicist Linda Morabito discovered volcanic plumes on Jupiter’s moon Io, offering the first proof that a world beyond Earth is geologically active.