SAT OwlQuestion bank / Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) was a German-born naturalist and artist.
• In 1699 she traveled to Suriname to study insects.
• She documented the life cycles of butterflies and moths, painting caterpillars on the plants they ate.
• Her book Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium was published in 1705.
• Many Europeans at the time believed that insects arose spontaneously from mud.
The student wants to introduce Merian's book to an audience unfamiliar with Merian. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium was published in 1705, six years after its author traveled to Suriname.
Many Europeans believed that insects arose from mud, but Merian's work suggested otherwise.
Merian traveled to Suriname in 1699 to study insects.
German-born naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian published Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, a book documenting insect life cycles in Suriname, in 1705.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
An audience that doesn't know Merian needs to learn who she was as well as what the book is. Choice D does both: it identifies Merian as a German-born naturalist and artist, then names the book, says what it documents, and gives the date. Choices A and C leave out who Merian was, and choice B never names the book.
Choice A names the book and its date but never tells an unfamiliar reader who wrote it or what it is about.
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