Question while-
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- On January 3, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state to join the US.
- On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state to join the US.
- A new 50-star US flag was unveiled the same day.
The student wants to emphasize the order in which Alaska and Hawaii became US states. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Alaska, the 49th US state, became a state several months before Hawaii, the 50th state, did.
On August 21, 1959, a new 50-star US flag was unveiled.
The 49th and 50th states to join the US did so in the same year.
The same day that Hawaii became a US state—August 21, 1959—a new US flag was unveiled.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: On January 3, 1959, Alaska
Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Rhetorical Synthesis — Selecting a claim supported by multiple findings. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice A is the best answer. The sentence emphasizes the order in which Alaska and Hawaii became US states, noting that Alaska became a US state several months before Hawaii did.
Choice B is incorrect. The sentence specifies when the 50-star US flag was unveiled; it doesn’t emphasize the order in which Alaska and Hawaii became US states. Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence indies that the 49th and 50th states became US states in the same year, it doesn’t identify which state was the 49th and which was the 50th; as a result, it doesn’t emphasize the order in which Alaska and Hawaii became states. Choice D is incorrect. The sentence indies that a new US flag was unveiled when Hawaii became a US state; it doesn’t emphasize the order in which Alaska and Hawaii became states.
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