Question 236·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is one of the largest invertebrates on Earth.
- More than 680 species of squid have been identified.
- The first photographs of a live giant squid were taken in 2004.
- The first video footage of a live giant squid was recorded in 2012.
- Female giant squids can reach lengths of up to 13 meters.
The student wants to emphasize how recently scientists have been able to directly observe giant squid compared with the long-established diversity of squid species. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, first restate the goal in simple terms (what idea should the sentence emphasize?). Then scan the notes and highlight only the bits that match that goal; ignore interesting but off-topic details. Next, eliminate any answer choices that bring in irrelevant notes (like size or habitat) or that mention only one side of the comparison when the question clearly asks for two (here, diversity and recent observation). Finally, prefer the option that not only uses the right facts but also signals the relationship clearly with contrast words such as "although" or "while."
Hints
Focus on the purpose words
Underline the key instruction in the question: the student wants to emphasize how recently scientists have been able to directly observe giant squid compared with the already known diversity of squid species.
Find the matching notes
Look back at the notes and decide: which bullet(s) talk about the diversity of squid species, and which talk about recent first observations (photos or video)?
Check what each choice includes
Ask of each answer: does it include both the diversity idea (many species identified) and the timing of recent direct observations, and does it clearly show a contrast between them?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the writing goal
Restate the question in your own words: the student wants one sentence that emphasizes how recent direct observations of giant squid are, compared with the long-established fact that many squid species have already been identified.
Identify the relevant notes
From the bullet points, pull out only the information that serves this goal:
- Long-established diversity: "More than 680 species of squid have been identified."
- Recent direct observations: "The first photographs of a live giant squid were taken in 2004" and "The first video footage of a live giant squid was recorded in 2012."
Notes about size (13 meters) and being among the largest invertebrates are not needed for emphasizing the timing contrast.
Match choices to the goal and notes
Now see which answer choice uses both parts: the many known squid species and the recent first photo/video dates.
- Some choices mention only size or habitat.
- Some mention just a date and size.
- Only one choice mentions the number of species and both 2004 and 2012, clearly setting up a contrast between long-known diversity and recent observation.
Select the sentence that makes the contrast clear
Choice B) Although scientists have catalogued over 680 squid species, they did not photograph a live giant squid until 2004 and did not film one until 2012. directly contrasts the long-established cataloguing of many squid species with the very recent first photo and video of a live giant squid, exactly accomplishing the student’s purpose.