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, underline the exact goal in the question (here, “highlight the significance of Morabito’s discovery”). Then identify the note that expresses why it mattered (often signaled by “first,” “confirmed,” or “revealed”). Choose the option that includes that key significance while keeping the required focus on the correct person/event, and eliminate options that shift attention to side details.
Hints
Focus on the exact writing goal
You need a sentence that highlights the significance of Morabito’s discovery, not just a fact about Voyager 1 or Io.
Locate the most important note
Find the bullet that explains why the discovery mattered (look for an idea like a scientific “first”).
Check each option against the key idea
Does the option (1) name Morabito and (2) explain that her finding was a major breakthrough (not merely that eruptions exist or are powerful)?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task in the question
The student’s goal is to highlight the significance of Morabito’s discovery. The best choice should (1) name Morabito and (2) explain why the discovery mattered, not just describe Voyager 1 or Io.
Find the note that states significance
The key note explains the impact: the plumes provided the first confirmation of geologic activity on a world beyond Earth. That “first confirmation/first proof” idea is the significance to include.
Eliminate choices that miss the goal
Eliminate any option that mainly emphasizes the launch, the spacecraft, or the power of eruptions without clearly tying the discovery to Morabito and the “first proof beyond Earth” significance.
Select the choice that matches both the person and the significance
The option that names Morabito and explicitly states the “first proof” significance is:
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.