Question 185·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Bioluminescence is the production of light by living organisms through a chemical reaction.
- The enzyme luciferase acts on a molecule called luciferin in the presence of oxygen, releasing light.
- Bioluminescence is widespread among deep-sea animals, where sunlight does not reach.
- An anglerfish dangles a bioluminescent lure in front of its mouth to draw in unsuspecting prey.
The student is writing a brief explanation of how the anglerfish hunts. Which choice most effectively incorporates relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, start by underlining the exact goal in the question stem (for example, “explain how the anglerfish hunts”). Then scan the notes and mark which ones directly support that goal; ignore notes that are purely background or extra detail. Next, eliminate choices that (1) don’t mention the specific subject or action the question asks about, (2) focus on side topics like technical details or history, or (3) bring in information not supported by the notes. Choose the option that uses the most relevant notes and stays focused, clear, and concise about the requested idea.
Hints
Focus on the goal in the question stem
Underline the phrase “brief explanation of how the anglerfish hunts.” Which answer choices actually explain the anglerfish’s method of hunting, not just general facts?
Use the notes to filter for relevance
Look over the four notes and ask: which ones describe what the anglerfish does to catch prey and the conditions where it lives, versus which ones are just scientific background?
Eliminate off-topic and overly general choices
Check for answers that focus mostly on the chemical reaction or on history/background rather than on the anglerfish’s behavior. Those are not doing what the student’s sentence needs to do.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing goal
Read the question stem carefully: the student needs “a brief explanation of how the anglerfish hunts.”
So the best sentence must:
- Mention the anglerfish specifically.
- Describe its hunting method (how it catches prey).
- Stay brief and focused on that behavior, not on unrelated details like chemistry or history.
Decide which notes are directly relevant
Look at the notes and ask which ones directly help explain the hunting behavior:
- Note 1: Definition of bioluminescence (general background).
- Note 2: Chemical reaction details (luciferase, luciferin, oxygen) — technical, not about behavior.
- Note 3: Bioluminescence is widespread where sunlight does not reach (explains why light is useful in the deep sea).
- Note 4: The anglerfish dangles a bioluminescent lure in front of its mouth to draw in prey (this is the core hunting behavior).
For explaining how the anglerfish hunts, notes 3 and 4 are the most important, because they tell us:
- The environment is dark.
- The fish uses a glowing lure to attract prey to its mouth.
Match answer choices to the goal and relevant notes
Now compare each option to the goal and the relevant notes:
- A) Talks about bioluminescence in many deep-sea creatures and mentions the chemicals, but does not describe how the anglerfish hunts.
- C) Focuses on the chemical reaction (luciferase, luciferin, oxygen) in various marine species, which is too general and too technical, and again not about the anglerfish’s hunting behavior.
- D) Mentions early oceanographers and documentation of deep-sea organisms, which is off-topic; the notes say nothing about this, and it doesn’t explain hunting.
- B) Uses the fact that no sunlight reaches the deep ocean (note 3) and that the anglerfish dangles a bioluminescent lure to draw in prey (note 4). It clearly and briefly explains how the anglerfish hunts.
Therefore, the best answer that incorporates the right notes and directly explains the hunting method is: “Because no sunlight reaches the deep ocean, the anglerfish dangles a glowing, bioluminescent lure in front of its mouth to draw prey close enough to capture.”