Question 154·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has recorded the following notes:
- OSIRIS-REx is a NASA spacecraft launched in 2016 to study the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.
- On October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx collected a surface sample from Bennu—the first U.S. mission to retrieve material from an asteroid.
- Bennu contains abundant carbon-rich minerals, making it a window into the early solar system and the origins of organic molecules.
- Astronomers estimate Bennu has a 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting Earth in the late 2100s.
The student wants to craft an opening sentence for a public-outreach article that highlights the mission’s unprecedented accomplishment and its scientific value. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by translating the task into 2–3 specific requirements (here: show the unprecedented accomplishment and the scientific value, in an engaging way). Then scan the notes to find which bullets correspond directly to those requirements and mentally label them as “must include.” Next, quickly test each choice: eliminate any that miss one of the must-include ideas, add information not in the notes, or shift focus to something off-goal (like danger or timing). From the remaining options, choose the one that is both accurate to the notes and best matches the intended purpose and audience.
Hints
Focus on the key ideas in the notes
Look back at the bullet points and decide which ones directly relate to (1) what makes the mission a “first” or “unprecedented,” and (2) what the asteroid’s sample can teach scientists.
Check that both goals are met
Ask yourself for each answer: does it clearly show both the special accomplishment of OSIRIS-REx and the scientific importance of Bennu’s material, or only one of those?
Consider audience and tone
Because this is for a public-outreach article’s opening sentence, prefer a choice that is engaging and big-picture rather than narrow, technical, or focused mainly on risk or scheduling details.
Avoid unsupported or misleading details
Eliminate any option that adds information not found in the notes or that weakens the sense that the accomplishment has actually happened.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task and goal
The question asks for an opening sentence for a public-outreach article. The sentence must do two specific things:
- Highlight the mission’s unprecedented accomplishment.
- Highlight the mission’s scientific value.
So you need a choice that is both exciting/engaging and clearly shows what was uniquely achieved and why it matters scientifically.
Identify the most relevant notes
From the notes, pick out which details match the two goals:
- Unprecedented accomplishment:
- “On October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx collected a surface sample from Bennu—the first U.S. mission to retrieve material from an asteroid.”
- Scientific value:
- “Bennu contains abundant carbon-rich minerals, making it a window into the early solar system and the origins of organic molecules.”
These are the must-have ideas your correct answer should reflect.
Eliminate choices that miss a key goal or add off-topic details
Now check each option against those two must-have ideas and the public-outreach purpose:
- Choice A: Talks about the launch year and the possibility Bennu might hit Earth. It does not mention the sample, the first-ever accomplishment, or the scientific value of the material. It also focuses on danger, not the mission’s achievement.
- Choice B: Mentions the sample and hope of learning how organic molecules formed (scientific value), but says nothing about the mission being a first or unprecedented. It only covers half the task.
- Choice C: Mentions carbon-rich rocks and that OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. attempt, but it calls it an “attempt” and says results “are expected to be announced soon,” which is not in the notes and weakens the sense of a completed, historic accomplishment. It also doesn’t clearly spell out what the rocks can teach us.
All three choices fail either by missing one of the two required ideas or by adding unsupported or misleading information.
Confirm the remaining option matches all requirements
The remaining option, Choice D, directly reflects the key notes:
- It emphasizes the unprecedented accomplishment with wording like a “groundbreaking first for the United States” and describes OSIRIS-REx actually snatching a souvenir from Bennu—capturing the successful sample return.
- It shows the scientific value by calling the sample a carbon-rich haul that could illuminate the solar system’s earliest chapters, echoing the note that Bennu’s minerals are a window into the early solar system and the origins of organic molecules.
- Its tone is vivid and engaging, fitting a public-outreach opening sentence.
Therefore, the best choice is: “In a groundbreaking first for the United States, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has snatched a carbon-rich souvenir from the asteroid Bennu, a haul that could illuminate the solar system’s earliest chapters.”