Set 10: Rhetorical Synthesis
Explanation
PASSAGE
A student is writing about path dependence in history. The student wants to explain how early choices constrain later possibilities. Notes: - Early decisions shape the environment for subsequent choices. - QWERTY keyboard layout persists despite more efficient alternatives. - Switching costs make changing established paths prohibitively expensive. - Small early advantages can compound into dominant positions.
Which choice most effectively uses information from the notes to accomplish the student's goal?
Detailed Answer Explanation
This question asks you to effectively combine information to achieve a goal. The goal is HOW early choices CONSTRAIN later possibilities. Shaped environment, switching costs, compounding advantages, and QWERTY example. The correct synthesis will use relevant details from the notes in a logical, purposeful way. Focus on what the question asks you to accomplish, then choose the answer that best achieves that goal using the provided information. Effective synthesis requires selecting and combining the most relevant information to achieve a specific purpose. Not all provided notes may be equally useful. Focus on what best accomplishes the stated goal while maintaining logical coherence.
Key Evidence:
• "explain how early choices constrain later possibilities"
• "Early decisions shape the environment"
• "Switching costs make changing established paths prohibitively expensive"
• "Small early advantages can compound"
• "QWERTY keyboard layout persists"
Why others are wrong: A (Not in notes; general statement about technology.), B (Notes suboptimality but doesn't explain constraint mechanism.), C (States QWERTY origin but not path dependence mechanism.).
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