Question 218·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Monarch butterflies migrate annually from North America to central Mexico.
• The journey can cover as much as 3,000 miles.
• The migration spans multiple generations of butterflies.
• Monarchs roost in oyamel fir forests during winter.
• The butterflies return northward in spring.
The student wants to emphasize the distance monarch butterflies travel during their migration. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For this type of question, first underline the goal phrase in the prompt (here, “emphasize the distance monarch butterflies travel”). Then scan the notes and find the one or two that directly support that goal. Next, eliminate any answer choices that mainly use other notes or introduce details that shift the focus (like season, location, or generations instead of distance). Finally, pick the choice that most directly and clearly expresses the targeted idea from the notes, without adding unrelated information.
Hints
Restate the goal in your own words
Ask yourself: What exactly does the question say the student wants to emphasize—time of year, type of forest, number of generations, or how far the butterflies travel?
Locate the most relevant note
Among the notes, which one specifically tells you something about how far the butterflies travel, not when or how they migrate?
Compare choices to that note
Choose the option that clearly uses the note about distance. Be careful with options that only talk about seasons, resting places, or generations without highlighting how far the butterflies travel.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify the student's goal
The prompt says the student wants to emphasize the distance monarch butterflies travel during migration. That means the best sentence should focus on how far they go, not when they go, where they rest, or how many generations are involved.
Find the note(s) about distance
Look back at the notes and identify which bullet(s) talk about distance traveled.
- The key note is: "The journey can cover as much as 3,000 miles."
- The first note about migrating from North America to central Mexico also helps describe the path of the journey.
Any good answer should clearly use the idea that the migration can be as long as 3,000 miles.
Match the notes to the answer choices
Now check each choice and see which one uses the information about how far the butterflies travel.
- The correct choice is the one that directly mentions the migration as being as long as 3,000 miles and describes the route from North America to central Mexico.
Correct answer: Monarch butterflies undertake an annual migration of up to 3,000 miles from North America to central Mexico.