The student wants to emphasize the thoroughness of Ida Tarbell’s investigation of the Standard Oil Company. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A
Ida Tarbell not only interviewed Standard Oil executives, oil industry workers, and public officials but also examined thousands of pages of the company’s internal communications.
B
Ida Tarbell, who investigated the Standard Oil Company, was a muckraker (a journalist who sought to expose corruption in US institutions during the Progressive Era, 1897–1920).
C
As part of her investigation of the Standard Oil Company, muckraker Ida Tarbell conducted interviews.
D
Published in 1904, muckraker Ida Tarbell’s book The History of the Standard Oil Company exposed the company’s unfair business practices.
Explanation
Correct answer: A.
Choice A is the best answer. It describes Tarbell’s investigation and the lengths she went to complete it.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t describe how thorough Tarbell was. Instead, it gives a biographical sketch.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t describe how thorough Tarbell was. Tarbell didn’t only conduct interviews—she also “examined thousands of pages of the company’s internal communications.”
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect. This choice doesn’t describe how thorough Tarbell was. It describes her book but doesn’t include anything about her investigation.