Question 105·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Vertical farms grow crops in stacked indoor layers.
- Traditional farms grow crops in outdoor fields.
- Vertical farms can be established near urban centers, reducing transportation distance.
- Vertical farms require substantial electricity for artificial lighting and climate control.
- Traditional farms rely on seasonal weather and large tracts of arable land.
- Vertical farms use recirculating hydroponic systems, reducing water usage by up to 95% compared with field farming.
The student wants to highlight how vertical farms conserve one resource but consume more of another resource compared with traditional farms. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions with notes, restate the goal in concrete terms (for example, “show a trade-off between two resources”). Then identify the exact note(s) that supply each side of that relationship and eliminate choices that (1) leave out one side of the relationship, (2) mix in irrelevant notes, or (3) misattribute a detail to the wrong subject. Choose the option that most directly combines the relevant notes without adding new claims.
Hints
Focus on the exact goal
Underline the words "conserve one resource" and "consume more of another resource" in the question. Your chosen sentence must talk about two different resources with opposite trends (one going down, one going up).
Locate the relevant notes
Scan the bullet points for mention of specific resources like water or electricity, and notice which notes describe reducing use versus requiring substantial amounts.
Check for a clear contrast
Look for a choice that names a resource vertical farms use less and a different resource they use more, and that clearly signals a trade-off (for example, with "although" or "but").
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the task in your own words
The student wants a sentence that highlights a trade-off: vertical farms conserve one resource but consume more of another (compared with traditional farms).
Identify the two key notes that create the trade-off
From the notes:
- Vertical farms reduce water usage by up to 95% (recirculating hydroponics).
- Vertical farms require substantial electricity (artificial lighting and climate control).
Eliminate choices that don’t express the correct trade-off from the notes
- Choice 1 mentions water savings but incorrectly says traditional farms require substantial electricity (the notes attribute that to vertical farms).
- Choice 2 mentions water savings but then shifts to weather/land, not a resource that vertical farms consume more of.
- Choice 3 mentions high electricity use and location, but it does not state a resource that vertical farms conserve.
- Only one choice explicitly contrasts lower water use with higher electricity demand for vertical farms.
Select the choice that matches the notes and goal
The sentence that directly states the trade-off (less water, more electricity) is:
Although vertical farms dramatically reduce water consumption through recirculating systems, they demand large amounts of electricity for artificial lighting and temperature control.