Question 228·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has gathered the following notes:
- In 2009, marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson led a community-based study on Curaçao’s coral reefs.
- The study identified overfishing as the primary cause of reef decline.
- Working with local fishers, Johnson advocated for the creation of a protected marine reserve.
- Within five years of the reserve’s establishment, fish populations rebounded by 35%.
The student wants to highlight Johnson’s role in helping restore reef ecosystems. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to achieve this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, first underline the goal in the question stem (what the student or writer wants to emphasize—often a person’s role, a cause–effect relationship, or a main idea). Then scan the notes and pick out the few key details that directly support that goal (who did what, and with what result). As you review the answer choices, quickly eliminate any that (1) leave out the named focus (e.g., don’t mention the person), (2) ignore the required outcome or relationship, or (3) add or twist details not supported by the notes. The best choice will usually combine multiple relevant note points into one clear sentence that exactly fits the stated goal, without extra or incorrect information.
Hints
Focus on the goal sentence
Reread the sentence in the prompt that states the goal: the student wants to highlight Johnson’s role in helping restore reef ecosystems. Which choices actually focus on Johnson and what she accomplished?
Use the notes to find key actions and results
Look back at the notes and find what Johnson did (her actions) and what happened afterward to the fish populations. You’ll want a choice that uses both an action and a result, not just one or the other.
Eliminate incomplete or off-focus choices
Cross out any options that either don’t mention Johnson at all or don’t show any improvement or recovery of the reef ecosystem. Among what’s left, ask which one best ties Johnson’s actions to that positive outcome.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task in the question stem
The question asks which choice "most effectively uses relevant information from the notes" to highlight Johnson’s role in helping restore reef ecosystems. So the right answer must:
- Name Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.
- Emphasize what she did (her actions).
- Connect her actions to the restoration or improvement of the reef ecosystem.
Pull out key details from the notes
From the notes, identify the pieces that show Johnson’s role and the result:
- She led a community-based study on Curaçao’s coral reefs (2009).
- The study found overfishing was the main cause of reef decline.
- She worked with local fishers and advocated for a protected marine reserve.
- After the reserve was established, fish populations rebounded by 35% within five years.
Together, these details show: Johnson investigated the problem, pushed for a solution, and that solution led to measurable recovery.
Match each choice against the goal and notes
Check each option against the goal and the key details:
- Choice A: Talks about a marine reserve and fish populations increasing, but does not mention Johnson at all and incorrectly ties the reserve itself to 2009 (the date given for the study). It does not highlight her role.
- Choice B: Names Johnson and mentions overfishing damage, but only describes the problem, not the recovery or her success in restoring the ecosystem.
- Choice C: Gives the statistic about fish populations rebounding, but never mentions Johnson, so it does not highlight her role.
- Choice D: Names Johnson, describes her leading a study that linked overfishing to reef decline, notes that she championed a marine reserve, and connects this to the fish populations rebounding by 35% within five years.
Choose the option that fully meets the goal
The only option that both focuses on Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and clearly connects her specific actions to the successful restoration outcome (the 35% rebound in fish populations) is Choice D: “By leading a community study that linked overfishing to coral reef decline and championing a marine reserve, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson helped local fish populations rebound by 35% within five years.”