Question 51·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Voyager 2 launched in 1977.
- It is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune.
- In 2018, Voyager 2 crossed the heliopause, entering interstellar space.
- The probe still transmits data, which is received by 70-meter antennas on Earth.
- Scientists cite the mission as proof of the longevity and reach of human-made spacecraft.
The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Voyager 2 mission. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For questions that ask you to make and support a generalization using notes, first underline the task word (like "generalization," "definition," or "claim"). Then scan the notes for any bullet that already sounds like a broad idea or conclusion—that is usually the core of the correct answer. Next, identify which other bullets give concrete details that could support that idea. Finally, choose the option that (1) restates that broad idea in its own words and (2) weaves in one or more of the relevant supporting details, while avoiding choices that only restate a single fact or focus on side details not central to the requested claim.
Hints
Focus on the task word "generalization"
Ask yourself which option gives a broad statement about what the Voyager 2 mission shows overall, instead of just one interesting fact about it.
Locate the general idea in the notes
Look for the bullet point that already sounds like a general conclusion about the mission’s importance, and think about how an answer choice might restate that idea.
Check for both a claim and supporting details
The best option should both (1) state that broad idea from the notes and (2) include specific details, such as where Voyager 2 has traveled or what it is still doing, that back up that idea.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question says the student "wants to make and support a generalization about the Voyager 2 mission." That means the correct choice must:
- State a broad claim about what the mission shows or demonstrates (not just a single fact), and
- Use specific details from the notes as evidence to back up that broad claim.
Identify the generalization in the notes
Look through the notes for the sentence that already sounds like a generalization about the mission. The bullet "Scientists cite the mission as proof of the longevity and reach of human-made spacecraft" is clearly a broad statement about what Voyager 2 shows, not just a single event or detail. The right answer should echo this idea of longevity (lasting a long time) and reach (how far it has gone).
Notice which details can support that generalization
Next, see which other bullets provide evidence of longevity and reach:
- "Voyager 2 launched in 1977" (long time ago)
- "It is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune" (it has gone very far, unique reach)
- "In 2018, Voyager 2 crossed the heliopause, entering interstellar space" (even farther, beyond the heliosphere)
- "The probe still transmits data, which is received by 70-meter antennas on Earth" (it still works decades later) A strong answer will connect the broad idea of longevity and reach to some of these specific supporting facts.
Match the answer choice to the notes and the task
Now check each option:
- A and D just give narrow facts (only spacecraft to Uranus and Neptune; size and role of antennas) without any broad claim about what the mission shows.
- B focuses on the current data transmission and antennas, but it still does not clearly make a broad generalization about the mission’s significance.
- C clearly states a generalization about Voyager 2 showing the "extraordinary longevity and reach of human space exploration" and then supports it with specific details: its flybys of Uranus and Neptune and its exit from the heliosphere while still sending data to Earth. This exactly matches the notes and the task, so C is the correct answer.