While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
● Minnesota defines a lake as an inland body of water of at least 10 acres.
● Wisconsinʼs definition of a lake doesnʼt take size into account.
● By its own definition, Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes, many smaller than 10 acres.
● By Minnesotaʼs definition, Wisconsin has only about 6,000 lakes.
The student wants to contrast Minnesotaʼs definition of a lake with Wisconsinʼs. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Explanation
Answer: 4) Minnesota's definition of a lake—an inland body of water of at least 10 acres—is more restrictive than Wisconsin's, which doesn't take size into account.
Goal: Contrast Minnesota's definition with Wisconsin's.
Why? Contrasting requires showing how they differ. Choice 4 directly compares—Minnesota requires 10 acres minimum while Wisconsin has no size requirement.
Traps:
- A) Only about Wisconsin → incomplete contrast
- B) About uncertainty → doesn't explain the definitions
- C) Only Minnesota's definition → incomplete contrast