Question 186·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Astrophysicist Lina Patel teaches at the University of Arizona.
- In 2019, Patel led a study that used Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data to map the Moon's south pole.
- The 2019 study identified more than 600 suspected water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters.
- In 2022, Patel co-authored a paper analyzing methane plumes on Mars detected by the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).
- The 2022 paper proposed that seasonal temperature variations influence plume intensity.
The student wants to describe the study that Patel led in 2019. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis, turn the question into a checklist of required note-details (here: 2019, Patel led, LRO, Moon’s south pole, 600+ suspected water-ice deposits). Then scan each choice and eliminate anything that (1) uses details from the wrong note, (2) is too general to meet the goal, or (3) subtly swaps a key fact (role, instrument, location, or main finding).
Hints
Lock onto the exact target
The question is only asking about the study Patel led in 2019—ignore anything that doesn’t match both of those details.
List the three key 2019 identifiers
From the notes, the 2019 study is defined by (1) LRO, (2) the Moon’s south pole, and (3) 600+ suspected water-ice deposits.
Use a checklist on each option
For each choice, check: Does it say led (not co-authored)? Does it use LRO (not TGO)? Does it say south pole (not north)?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task in the question
The question asks you to describe the study that Patel led in 2019. So the correct choice must (1) be about 2019, (2) say Patel led the study, and (3) accurately reflect what that 2019 study did and found.
Pull the exact 2019 details from the notes
From the notes, the 2019 study:
- used Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data,
- mapped the Moon’s south pole, and
- identified more than 600 suspected water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters.
Eliminate choices with wrong role, instrument, or location
Check each choice against the notes:
- If it says Patel co-authored (not led), it doesn’t meet the goal.
- If it uses TGO instead of LRO, it contradicts the notes.
- If it says north pole instead of south pole, it contradicts the notes.
Select the choice that matches all 2019 notes exactly
The choice that matches the year, Patel’s role, the instrument (LRO), the location (Moon’s south pole), and the key finding (600+ suspected water-ice deposits) is:
In 2019, Lina Patel led a study that used LRO data to map the Moon's south polar region, identifying more than 600 suspected water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters.