Set 8: Rhetorical Synthesis (Intermediate)
Explanation
PASSAGE
A student is writing about consciousness research. The student wants to articulate why consciousness remains such a difficult problem for science. Notes: - Subjective experience cannot be directly measured by instruments. - Third-person scientific methods cannot access first-person experience. - Correlating brain activity with consciousness doesn't explain the connection. - Even complete brain mapping might not explain why experience exists.
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 WHY consciousness is DIFFICULT. Measurement impossibility, method limitations, explanation gap, and fundamental mystery articulate the difficulty. 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:
• "why consciousness remains such a difficult problem"
• "Subjective experience cannot be directly measured"
• "Third-person scientific methods cannot access first-person"
• "doesn't explain the connection"
• "might not explain why experience exists"
Why others are wrong: D (Not in notes; mentions advancement, not the difficulty.), A (States problem vaguely; doesn't articulate why it's difficult.), C (Suggests progress; doesn't articulate the difficulty.).
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