Question 179·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Sylvia Earle is a renowned oceanographer and explorer often nicknamed "Her Deepness."
- She has led more than 100 scientific expeditions and logged over 7,000 hours underwater.
- In her 2010 TED Prize talk "My wish: protect the oceans," Earle coined the term "hope spots" for marine protected areas that allow ecosystems to recover.
- "It's not too late, but we must act now to establish safe havens in the sea," she said in the same talk.
- Earle argues that expanding marine protected areas is essential to restoring ocean health.
The student wants to include a sentence that directly quotes Earle to convey the urgency behind her call for more marine protected areas. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to achieve this purpose?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by underlining the purpose in the question stem (for example, “directly quotes,” “convey urgency,” “about marine protected areas”). Then scan the notes for the exact detail or quote that best matches that purpose. Finally, eliminate any choices that (1) don’t use a direct quote when required, (2) change the meaning of the notes, or (3) fail to match the specific tone or focus (like urgency versus background). This targeted matching is faster and more accurate than reading each option in isolation.
Hints
Focus on what the question is asking for
Underline the phrases "directly quotes Earle" and "convey the urgency behind her call for more marine protected areas." Any answer that does not have both a direct quote and a sense of urgency should be eliminated.
Use the notes to find urgency and quotation
Look back at the bullet points for where Earle is actually speaking and for words that suggest immediate action (for example, language about acting now or it not being too late).
Match the notes to the answer choices
Check which answer choices use a direct quote from the notes and also clearly connect that quote to Earle’s push for marine protected areas, not just her background or a term she coined.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the exact task in the question
The prompt says the student wants to include a sentence that directly quotes Earle to convey the urgency behind her call for more marine protected areas.
So the correct answer must:
- Contain a direct quotation (with quotation marks) from Earle.
- Emphasize urgency or immediate action.
- Be clearly tied to her push for more marine protected areas.
Locate the most relevant note(s)
Scan the notes for places where Earle is directly quoted and where she talks about acting quickly related to protecting the oceans.
The key notes are:
- The quote: "It's not too late, but we must act now to establish safe havens in the sea".
- The idea: Earle argues that expanding marine protected areas is essential to restoring ocean health.
Together, these show both urgency ("must act now") and the goal (establishing "safe havens"/marine protected areas).
Check each answer choice against the task
Now compare each choice to the requirements (direct quote + urgency + marine protected areas):
- Choice B: Gives background about Earle’s experience. There is no direct quote from Earle and it does not show urgency about creating protected areas.
- Choice C: Uses details about her TED talk and the term "hope spots," but it does not convey urgency or immediate action.
- Choice D: Supports marine protected areas, but it is a paraphrase and includes no direct quotation showing urgency.
Only one choice includes a direct urgent quote tied to marine protected areas.
Select the sentence that fulfills all requirements
The only choice that directly quotes Earle saying that "we must act now" (clear urgency) and ties that urgency to establishing "safe havens" (marine protected areas) is:
Earle asserts during her 2010 TED Prize talk that "we must act now to establish safe havens in the sea," underscoring the urgency behind her push for marine protected areas.