Question

while researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: the madeira river is in south america. it ranks no. 21 among the longest rivers in the world. it is 3,380 kilometers long. the amur river is in asia. it ranks no. 10 among the longest rivers in the world. it is 4,444 kilometers long. the student wants to compare the lengths of the two rivers. which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? a) the madeira river in south america is 3,380 kilometers long. b) the amur river is in asia, whereas the madeira river is located in south america. c) among the longest rivers in the world, the amur river is ranked no. 10. d) the madeira river is shorter than the amur river.

Explanation:

To compare the two rivers effectively, we need to consider both length and location. Option A only gives length of Madeira River. Option B gives location of Amur River and Madeira River but no length - comparison. Option C gives ranking of Amur River among world's longest rivers but not a direct comparison to Madeira River. Option D combines length comparison (Madeira is shorter than Amur) which is a key aspect when comparing based on length and thus is the most effective for the goal.

Answer:

D. The Madeira River is shorter than the Amur River.