Question 65·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- In December 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole.
- Amundsen’s five-member team traveled with sled dogs and returned safely to base.
- In January 1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott also reached the South Pole.
- Scott’s five-member team used ponies and experimental motor sledges; all five men died on the return march.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two expeditions. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by underlining the task words (for example, “emphasize a difference,” “summarize,” or “explain a cause”). Then skim the notes and mentally group details into similarities vs. differences, causes vs. effects, or other relevant categories. Eliminate any choice that (1) does not match the task (e.g., states a similarity when a difference is requested), (2) uses only one side of the information instead of both, or (3) adds information not in the notes. Among the remaining options, choose the sentence that uses the most important, concrete details from the notes to fulfill the stated purpose as directly as possible.
Hints
Focus on what the question is asking
Underline the phrase "emphasize a difference between the two expeditions." Which choices clearly contrast the two journeys instead of describing what they have in common?
Use the notes as your checklist
Scan the notes for how each team traveled and what happened to each team. Which choice brings in details from both expeditions that show they are not the same?
Watch out for similarities or new information
Eliminate any answer choice that mainly talks about what the expeditions shared, or that introduces descriptive details that don’t appear in the notes at all.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the task
The question says the student wants to emphasize a difference between the two expeditions and must use relevant information from the notes. So the correct answer has to:
- Talk about both expeditions, and
- Clearly contrast them (show how they are different), and
- Stay consistent with the notes without adding new, unsupported information.
Identify the main possible differences in the notes
Look through the notes for details that contrast the two trips:
- Timing: Amundsen reached the South Pole in December 1911; Scott in January 1912.
- Transportation: Amundsen’s team used sled dogs; Scott’s team used ponies and experimental motor sledges.
- Outcomes: Amundsen’s team returned safely; Scott’s team all died on the return march. These are the clear differences the answer could highlight.
Check each option for contrast and relevance
Now test each choice against what the question wants:
- Choice A: Emphasizes that both expeditions did something similar (went to the South Pole seeking the same goal). This is a similarity, not a difference.
- Choice C: Mentions the difference in dates, but ignores the more striking differences in methods and outcomes.
- Choice D: Says both crews faced the same harsh conditions (a similarity) and adds details about the environment that are not in the notes. Only one option clearly contrasts important differences (transportation and outcome) and uses information pulled straight from the notes for both teams.
Select the sentence that best emphasizes the difference
The best answer is the one that directly contrasts what mattered most in the notes: how each team traveled and what happened to them afterward. Choice B: “Amundsen’s five-man team relied on sled dogs and returned safely, whereas Scott’s similarly sized team used ponies and motor sledges but died on the journey back.” does exactly this, highlighting both the difference in transportation and the difference in survival, using only information from the notes.