Question 89·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching Katherine Johnson for a report, a student has compiled the following notes:
- Katherine Johnson was an African American mathematician who worked at NASA.
- She calculated trajectories for NASA’s Mercury and Apollo space missions.
- She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
- Johnson was born in 1918 in West Virginia.
The student is preparing a slide that highlights Johnson’s most significant professional achievement for an audience interested in women’s contributions to STEM fields.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, underline the exact purpose (for example, “most significant professional achievement”) and then match it to the note that contains the most concrete action/result. Prefer choices that state that action clearly and directly, and eliminate choices that are mostly biographical or use vague wording that doesn’t specify what the person actually did.
Hints
Focus on the goal words
Pay close attention to the words “highlights Johnson’s most significant professional achievement” in the question. Which notes talk about something she did in her job, not just who she was or when she was born?
Consider the STEM-focused audience
The audience is interested in women’s contributions to STEM fields. Which answer options clearly show that Katherine Johnson worked in a STEM area and made a specific contribution?
Prefer specific over vague
If two options mention NASA missions, choose the one that states exactly what Johnson did (for example, a particular kind of calculation) rather than using vague phrasing like “worked on” or listing mostly biographical facts.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the slide must emphasize
The slide must highlight Johnson’s most significant professional achievement for an audience interested in women’s contributions to STEM. So the sentence should foreground a specific, concrete accomplishment from the notes (not just background facts).
Locate the key achievement in the notes
The notes list one clear professional accomplishment: Johnson calculated trajectories for NASA’s Mercury and Apollo space missions. That is the most direct evidence of a STEM contribution.
Check each option for specificity and relevance
- Choice 1 and Choice 4 focus mainly on birth information and the award, but they don’t name the specific STEM work.
- Choice 3 mentions the Mercury and Apollo missions but is too vague (“worked at NASA on the missions”) and still does not specify her achievement from the notes.
- Only one choice directly states the specific accomplishment: calculating trajectories.
Select the choice that best matches the goal
The option that most effectively highlights Johnson’s specific professional achievement is:
African American mathematician Katherine Johnson calculated trajectories for NASA’s Mercury and Apollo missions and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.