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Difficulty: EasyRhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

While preparing a presentation on ancient Roman history, a student takes the following notes:
* The Aqua Appia, Rome's first aqueduct, was built underground to protect the water supply from hostile forces during war.
* The Aqua Anio Vetus was constructed forty years later to meet the water demands of Rome's expanding population.
* The construction of the Aqua Anio Vetus was funded entirely by spoils taken from defeated military adversaries.
* Both aqueducts utilized gravity to transport water from distant springs into the city.

The student wants to support the claim that military conflicts influenced the design or funding of Rome's earliest aqueducts. Which choice most effectively uses information from the given notes to accomplish this goal?

  1. The Aqua Appia was built underground to protect the city's water from enemies during war, while the later Aqua Anio Vetus was funded by spoils from defeated adversaries.Answer
  2. B
    The Aqua Appia was Rome's first aqueduct, and the Aqua Anio Vetus was constructed forty years later to supply water to the growing population.
  3. C
    Because Rome was constantly at war with neighboring empires, the city was forced to build its aqueducts underground to prevent enemy destruction.
  4. D
    Both the Aqua Appia and the Aqua Anio Vetus utilized gravity to transport water, demonstrating that Roman engineering was highly advanced for its time.

Answer

The correct answer is the statement that links the underground design of the Aqua Appia to protection during war and the funding of the Aqua Anio Vetus to military spoils.
The correct option effectively supports the claim by combining two facts from the notes: that the Aqua Appia was built underground for wartime protection (affecting its design) and that the Aqua Anio Vetus was funded by military spoils (affecting its funding). Together, these points directly demonstrate how military conflicts influenced both the design and funding of the aqueducts.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the student's rhetorical goal in the prompt.
The goal is to support the claim that military conflicts influenced the design or funding of Rome's earliest aqueducts.
Understanding the specific claim to be supported is necessary to evaluate the options.
2
Analyze the bulleted notes for information relating to military conflicts and either design or funding.
The first note connects military conflict ('hostile forces during war') to design ('built underground'). The third note connects military conflict ('spoils taken from defeated military adversaries') to funding ('funded entirely by spoils').
Selecting the correct evidence from the notes is required to build a valid support for the claim.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that combines these points without adding outside assumptions.
The statement combining the Aqua Appia's underground design for war protection and the Aqua Anio Vetus's funding from spoils directly accomplishes the goal using only the notes.
This confirms which choice meets the criteria and avoids common distractors.

Key Concept

Rhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims
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Rhetorical Synthesis: Supporting Claims

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