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Difficulty: MediumRhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

While preparing a presentation on marine ecology, a student takes the following notes:
* Dr. Elena Vance and her team studied juvenile blue crab survival in Chesapeake Bay.
* They compared crab populations in low-density and high-density seagrass habitats.
* The survival rate of juvenile blue crabs was 15% in low-density seagrass and 60% in high-density seagrass.
* Striped bass, a major predator of blue crabs, were found in equal numbers in both types of seagrass habitats.
* High-density seagrass provides dense physical cover that makes it difficult for striped bass to locate and capture juvenile blue crabs.

The student wants to support the claim that higher seagrass density increases juvenile blue crab survival by hindering predators' ability to hunt them. Which choice most effectively uses information from the given notes to support this claim?

  1. Although striped bass are equally present in both habitats, the denser cover in high-density seagrass makes it harder for them to hunt juvenile blue crabs, resulting in a 60% survival rate compared to only 15% in low-density seagrass.Answer
  2. B
    Dr. Elena Vance and her team conducted their research on juvenile blue crabs and striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay.
  3. C
    Because striped bass avoid high-density seagrass habitats entirely, the survival rate of juvenile blue crabs increases from 15% in low-density areas to 60% in high-density areas.
  4. D
    Juvenile blue crabs actively choose to live in high-density seagrass meadows because they prefer eating the smaller organisms that thrive in dense marine vegetation.

Answer

The option explaining that the denser cover in high-density seagrass makes it harder for striped bass to hunt the crabs, resulting in a higher survival rate compared to low-density seagrass.
The correct option effectively uses the notes to show that high-density seagrass provides physical cover that hinders predators (striped bass) from locating and capturing the crabs, which leads to a higher survival rate (60%) compared to low-density seagrass (15%).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the student's specific goal.
The goal is to support the claim that higher seagrass density increases juvenile blue crab survival by hindering predators' ability to hunt them.
Understanding the exact claim ensures that the selected choice directly addresses the prompt.
2
Evaluate the notes for information relating seagrass density, predator hunting success, and crab survival rates.
The notes show that survival is 60% in high-density seagrass versus 15% in low-density seagrass, and that high-density seagrass provides cover that makes it difficult for predators (striped bass) to locate and capture crabs.
This establishes the factual basis for the correct choice.
3
Assess the choices to find the one that synthesizes these points without introducing external assumptions or contradicting the notes.
The correct choice explains that denser cover makes hunting harder for striped bass, leading to a higher survival rate compared to low-density seagrass, directly supporting the claim using only the provided facts.
This eliminates distractors that are off-topic, contradict the notes, or make unsupported assumptions.

Key Concept

Rhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims
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Topics

Rhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

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