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Difficulty: EasyRhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

While preparing a presentation on the diet of the Ancestral Puebloans, a student takes the following notes:
* Archaeologists analyzed organic residue on pottery vessels from an eleventh-century Ancestral Puebloan site in Utah.
* The residue analysis revealed traces of cultivated crops, including maize and squash, as well as wild grasses.
* No traces of animal fats, meat, or other animal products were detected on the analyzed vessels.
* Maize and squash were major agricultural products of the region during this period.

The student wants to support the claim that the diet of the Ancestral Puebloans at this site was primarily plant-based. Which choice most effectively uses information from the given notes to accomplish this goal?

  1. A
    Archaeologists discovered pottery vessels dating back to the eleventh century at an Ancestral Puebloan site in Utah.
  2. B
    The presence of animal fats and meat residue on the pottery vessels shows that the Ancestral Puebloans balanced their diet with wild game.
  3. Residue analysis of pottery vessels from the Utah site revealed traces of maize, squash, and wild grasses, but no traces of animal products.Answer
  4. D
    Ancestral Puebloans at the Utah site preferred to eat wild grasses because hunting wild game in the eleventh century was highly inefficient.

Answer

Residue analysis of pottery vessels from the Utah site revealed traces of maize, squash, and wild grasses, but no traces of animal products.
The option describing residue analysis results that found traces of plant foods and no animal products is correct because it directly uses facts from the notes (the presence of maize, squash, and wild grasses, and the absence of animal residue) to support the claim that the diet was primarily plant-based.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the specific claim the student wants to support.
The claim is that the diet of the Ancestral Puebloans at this site was primarily plant-based.
This establishes the criteria for evaluating the choices.
2
Evaluate the information provided in the notes that relates to the diet.
The notes state that residue analysis found maize, squash, and wild grasses, and found no traces of animal products.
This provides the factual basis needed to support the claim.
3
Select the choice that accurately presents these facts to support the claim.
The correct choice connects the presence of plant residues and the absence of animal residues directly to the diet at the site.
This directly accomplishes the student's goal using only explicit notes without speculation.

Key Concept

Supporting claims using rhetorical synthesis of provided notes
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Rhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

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