Question 38·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
- Gagarin orbited Earth once during the mission.
- He traveled aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1.
- The entire flight, from launch to landing, lasted 108 minutes.
The student wants to craft a sentence that clearly summarizes Gagarin’s historic achievement. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions with notes, first quickly underline or list the key facts (who, what, when, where, why it matters). Then, scan the choices and eliminate any that (1) ignore the main subject, (2) leave out the central “big idea” of the notes, or (3) focus on only one small detail. Among the remaining options, choose the sentence that is both accurate and concise while combining the most important notes into a clear summary without adding new, unsupported information.
Hints
Focus on the main idea of the notes
Ask yourself: What is the biggest idea these notes are trying to convey about Yuri Gagarin? Look for a choice that highlights that main idea, not just a side detail.
Look for a sentence that combines multiple notes
The best summary will not restate just one bullet point. It should combine several of the listed facts into a single, clear sentence.
Check for completeness and focus
Eliminate any choice that doesn’t mention Gagarin directly, leaves out what made the flight historic, or focuses only on the spacecraft or on vague “missions” instead of his achievement.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
The question asks for one sentence that clearly summarizes Yuri Gagarin’s historic achievement, using the notes. That means the best choice must:
- Focus on Gagarin himself.
- Emphasize what made the event historic.
- Combine the most important details from the notes into a single clear sentence.
Identify the key ideas in the notes
From the notes, pull out the core points that define the achievement:
- Who and when: On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
- Historic first: Became the first human in space.
- What he did: Orbited Earth once.
- How: Aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1.
- Duration: The entire flight lasted 108 minutes. A strong summary sentence should capture the historic “first” and at least the major supporting details (spacecraft, orbit, and length of flight) in a compact way.
Test each choice against the notes and the goal
Check each option to see whether it accurately and clearly summarizes the historic achievement:
- Choice B talks about the flight being well known but does not say what the achievement was (no “first human in space,” no date, no duration).
- Choice C focuses on the spacecraft and its journey, but never mentions Gagarin or that this was the first human spaceflight, so it does not summarize his achievement.
- Choice D mentions a Soviet mission and a first in human spaceflight but leaves out Gagarin’s name, the spacecraft, and the specific details from the notes; it’s vague and incomplete. Only one remaining choice both focuses on Gagarin and includes the key facts from the notes in a concise way.
Select the sentence that best summarizes the notes
The only option that directly states that Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space and that also weaves in the relevant details about the 108-minute orbit of Earth and the spacecraft Vostok 1, all in one clear sentence, is Choice A: “On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space, completing a 108-minute orbit of Earth aboard Vostok 1.”