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, first restate the task in simple terms (for example, “show a trade-off between two resources”). Then, quickly scan the notes and mark only the pieces of information that match that task. Next, eliminate any answer choice that adds unrelated details or fails to use the specific note(s) you identified. Finally, pick the option that directly and efficiently combines the relevant notes and clearly matches the relationship (contrast, cause/effect, etc.) described in the question prompt.
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, electricity, land, or sunlight, and notice which notes talk about reducing use versus requiring substantial amounts.
Check for a clear contrast
Among the answer choices, look for one that not only mentions two resources from the notes but also uses a contrast structure (like "although" or "but") to show a trade-off between them.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the task in your own words
The question says the student wants to "highlight how vertical farms conserve one resource but consume more of another resource compared with traditional farms." That means the correct sentence must:
- Name two different resources.
- Show that one is conserved (used less).
- Show that the other is consumed more (used more).
- Make this a clear comparison between vertical and traditional farms.
Find relevant notes about resources
Look back at the bullet points and identify anything about saving or using resources:
- "Vertical farms require substantial electricity for artificial lighting and climate control." → This shows high use of electricity.
- "Vertical farms use recirculating hydroponic systems, reducing water usage by up to 95% compared with field farming." → This shows much lower water use than traditional farms.
These are the only notes that clearly describe conserving one resource (water) but using more of another (electricity).
Match answer choices to the goal and notes
Now check each option and see whether it:
- Uses the water and electricity details from the notes.
- Shows a contrast where one resource is conserved and another is used more.
- Choice A talks about transportation distance and land, not water or electricity, and not about conserving one resource while consuming another.
- Choice B contrasts weather dependence and seasonal limits, not resource conservation and extra consumption.
- Choice C discusses avoiding reliance on arable land and sunlight, again not mentioning two resources with opposite usage.
- One choice mentions both reduced water use and high electricity demand, and uses a contrast word like "Although" to show the trade-off.
Select the sentence that shows the trade-off
The only option that clearly shows vertical farms conserving one resource (water) while consuming more of another (electricity), based directly on the notes, is:
D) Although vertical farms dramatically reduce water consumption through recirculating systems, they demand large amounts of electricity for artificial lighting and temperature control.