Question 72·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has gathered the following notes:
- Atlantic cod stocks in U.S. waters plummeted during the mid-twentieth century because of sustained overfishing.
- In 1977, the United States expanded its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles, limiting foreign fishing fleets.
- Economist Robert J. Johnston and several colleagues investigated whether this jurisdictional change helped cod populations recover.
- They compared federal catch records from 1960–1990 and found a brief uptick in cod numbers after the EEZ expansion, followed by a steep decline in the late 1980s that coincided with intensified domestic fishing.
- The researchers concluded that extending jurisdiction without introducing strict catch limits cannot by itself restore depleted fisheries.
The student wants to summarize the principal conclusion of Johnston and his colleagues’ study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For note-based questions asking for a “principal conclusion,” first locate the bullet that explicitly states what the researchers concluded (often introduced by “concluded that”). Then choose the option that restates that whole takeaway—especially any necessary condition or limitation—without narrowing to a single result, shifting the emphasis to background, or adding stronger claims than the notes support.
Hints
Clarify the task
The question is not asking what the study measured or how it was done; it is asking for the principal conclusion the researchers reached.
Look for signal words in the notes
Scan the bullet points for words like "concluded" or "determined," which often introduce the main takeaway of a study.
Match, don’t invent
Pick the choice that restates the conclusion note fully. Avoid choices that zoom in on one finding (like the brief uptick) or that add a stronger claim than the notes support.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what you must summarize
The question asks for the study’s principal conclusion, so look for the note that states what the researchers ultimately determined (not background, methods, or a single finding).
Locate the conclusion in the notes
The final bullet gives the conclusion: extending jurisdiction without strict catch limits cannot by itself restore depleted fisheries.
Choose the option that restates that full takeaway
Eliminate choices that (1) focus on one result (like a brief uptick), (2) shift the emphasis to foreign fleets as the main point, or (3) overinterpret a detail (like blaming one group as the “chief” cause). The remaining choice matches the final bullet by stating that jurisdictional expansion alone is insufficient and that strict catch limits are needed.
State the correct answer
Johnston and colleagues concluded that expanding U.S. jurisdiction alone could not restore Atlantic cod stocks; recovery also required strict catch limits.