Question 68·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Ada Lovelace wrote extensive notes on Charles Babbage’s proposed Analytical Engine.
- Her 1843 notes contained what is now regarded as the first computer algorithm.
- Lovelace predicted that machines could manipulate symbols beyond mere calculation, even composing music.
- Although she collaborated with Babbage, her insights were uniquely visionary.
The student wants to provide a brief introduction to Ada Lovelace’s pioneering role in the history of computing.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For note-based rhetorical synthesis questions, start by restating the goal in your own words (for example, “introduce Ada Lovelace as a pioneer in computing”). Then quickly scan the notes to pick out the two or three strongest pieces of evidence that match that goal. Next, go through the answers and cross off any option that (1) adds information not in the notes, (2) leaves out the key evidence you identified, or (3) shifts the focus away from the person or idea you’re supposed to introduce. Choose the remaining option that cleanly combines the most relevant notes into a single, clear sentence that directly accomplishes the stated task.
Hints
Focus on the task in the question stem
Underline the words "brief introduction" and "pioneering role in the history of computing." Which details from the notes most directly show that Ada Lovelace was a pioneer, not just a collaborator?
Pick out the key ‘pioneering’ details in the notes
Look for notes that show Lovelace doing something first or having unusually advanced ideas about what computers could do. Which two bullets especially highlight unique or visionary contributions?
Match the choice to both the notes and the goal
Eliminate any answer that:
- Leaves out the strongest evidence of her pioneering role,
- Adds claims not found in the notes, or
- Makes something other than Ada Lovelace herself the main focus of the sentence.
Check for a complete, one-sentence introduction
Among the remaining choices, which one sentence mentions Lovelace by name, connects her to Babbage’s Analytical Engine, and includes the most important evidence of her early and visionary role in computing?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the goal of the sentence
The question asks for a brief introduction to Ada Lovelace’s pioneering role in the history of computing.
So the best sentence should:
- Clearly be about Ada Lovelace (not just an algorithm or Babbage).
- Highlight why she was pioneering in computing.
- Use relevant information from the notes only.
Identify the most relevant notes for her ‘pioneering role’
Look back at the notes and ask which points show that Lovelace did something first or visionary in computing:
- "Her 1843 notes contained what is now regarded as the first computer algorithm." → Shows a major “first” in computing.
- "Lovelace predicted that machines could manipulate symbols beyond mere calculation, even composing music." → Shows a visionary prediction about what computers could do.
These two bullets are the strongest support for her pioneering role. The other notes (that she wrote extensive notes on the Analytical Engine and that she collaborated with Babbage) give context but don’t, by themselves, highlight why she was a pioneer.
Eliminate choices that don’t match the goal or the notes
Check each answer choice against the goal and the notes:
- Choice A talks about her collaboration with Babbage and says the Analytical Engine "inspired later computers." The notes never say it inspired later computers, and this choice doesn’t mention the first algorithm or her predictions, so it doesn’t show her pioneering role.
- Choice B starts with "The first known computer algorithm" (making the algorithm, not Lovelace, the main subject) and gives two facts, but it doesn’t clearly introduce Ada Lovelace as a pioneering figure tied to the Analytical Engine.
- Choice C focuses on her "uniquely visionary" insights as the reason she worked with Babbage, but this cause-and-effect relationship is not stated in the notes, and it omits the concrete details (first algorithm, prediction about music) that actually show why she was pioneering.
The remaining choice is the only one that:
- Names Ada Lovelace clearly,
- Connects her to Babbage’s Analytical Engine, and
- Includes both the first algorithm and her prediction about composing music.
Select the sentence that best introduces her pioneering role
The best introduction must:
- Be clearly about Ada Lovelace,
- Mention her 1843 work on Babbage’s Analytical Engine, and
- Highlight both the first computer algorithm and her visionary prediction about machines composing music.
The only choice that does all of this using information from the notes is:
D) In 1843, Ada Lovelace wrote detailed notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine that included the first computer algorithm and predicted that such machines could one day compose music.