Question bank / Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Europa is a moon of Jupiter with a diameter of about 3,100 kilometers.
• Enceladus is a moon of Saturn with a diameter of about 500 kilometers.
• Both moons are thought to have oceans of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces.
• The Cassini spacecraft observed plumes of water vapor spraying from Enceladus.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between Europa and Enceladus. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Europa orbits Jupiter, while Enceladus orbits Saturn.
The Cassini spacecraft observed plumes of water vapor spraying from Enceladus.
Europa, at about 3,100 kilometers across, is much larger than Enceladus.
Both Europa and Enceladus are thought to have oceans of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces.
Answer: D
A similarity has to name something both moons share. Choice D does: both are thought to have liquid water oceans under icy surfaces. Choices A and C give differences, and choice B is about Enceladus alone.
Choice C compares the two moons, but it points out a difference in size.
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