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Difficulty: HardRhetorical Synthesis: Comparison and Contrast

During a study of medieval European and Islamic cartography, a student compiled the following notes:
* Completed in 1459 by a Venetian monk, the Fra Mauro map depicted the Old World and oriented south at the top of the map.
* The Fra Mauro map was celebrated for incorporating contemporary geographical details from recent Portuguese maritime expeditions.
* Completed in 1154 by the Moroccan scholar Al-Idrisi, the *Tabula Rogeriana* also oriented south at the top.
* The *Tabula Rogeriana* relied primarily on classical geographic traditions and accounts from pre-existing trade routes.

The student wants to contrast the geographical sources used to construct the Fra Mauro map and the *Tabula Rogeriana* while also acknowledging a design similarity between the two maps. Which choice most effectively uses information from the given notes to accomplish this goal?

  1. A
    The Fra Mauro map utilized contemporary geographical data from Portuguese maritime expeditions, whereas the *Tabula Rogeriana* was constructed using classical traditions and accounts from trade routes.
  2. B
    Although both maps oriented south at the top, the Fra Mauro map relied on classical traditions and older trade accounts, whereas the *Tabula Rogeriana* incorporated contemporary data from recent Portuguese expeditions.
  3. Although both maps oriented south at the top, the Fra Mauro map incorporated contemporary data from recent Portuguese expeditions, whereas the *Tabula Rogeriana* relied on classical traditions and pre-existing trade accounts.Answer
  4. D
    Fra Mauro's 1459 map and Al-Idrisi's 1154 *Tabula Rogeriana* both oriented south at the top, representing the advanced geographical knowledge of their respective eras.

Answer

The option that states both maps oriented south at the top but contrasts Fra Mauro's use of recent Portuguese data with Al-Idrisi's reliance on classical traditions and trade accounts.
The correct option successfully addresses both parts of the student's goal. It acknowledges the design similarity (both maps oriented south at the top) and contrasts their geographical sources (the Fra Mauro map's use of recent Portuguese maritime data versus the *Tabula Rogeriana*'s reliance on classical traditions and older trade accounts).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the student's specific rhetorical goal in the prompt.
The student wants to achieve two things: (1) contrast the geographical sources used for the two maps, and (2) acknowledge a design similarity between them.
Identifying the goal establishes the criteria for evaluating the choices.
2
Review the bulleted notes for the design similarity and geographical sources.
The notes state that both maps oriented south at the top (design similarity), while the Fra Mauro map used contemporary Portuguese maritime data and the *Tabula Rogeriana* used classical traditions and pre-existing trade accounts (geographical sources).
This extracts the specific factual information needed to construct the correct comparison and contrast.
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that accurately fulfills both criteria without misrepresenting the facts.
The correct choice is the sentence that begins by noting both maps oriented south at the top, and then contrasts Fra Mauro's use of recent Portuguese maritime data with Al-Idrisi's reliance on classical traditions and pre-existing trade accounts.
This ensures that all parts of the student's prompt are satisfied and that no factual errors are introduced.

Key Concept

Synthesizing details from a list of notes to compare and contrast two subjects according to a specific rhetorical goal.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Rhetorical Synthesis: Comparison and Contrast

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