Question 106·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching plant biology, a student has compiled the following notes:
- Photosynthesis begins when chlorophyll absorbs light energy.
- In bright light, chlorophyll molecules in some plants can become damaged.
- To guard against this, certain plants activate protective mechanisms that dissipate excess energy as heat.
- One such mechanism, non-photochemical quenching, can switch on and off within seconds as light intensity changes.
The student wants to add a sentence to a report that makes and supports a claim about how quickly some plants can protect themselves from light-induced damage. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For note-synthesis questions, start by underlining the exact task in the question (here, a claim about how quickly plants can protect themselves from light-induced damage). Then scan the notes and mark the pieces that relate directly to each required element (damage, protective mechanism, and timing). Finally, test each answer choice against all parts of the task: it must (1) include every required idea, (2) stay faithful to the notes without adding new claims, and (3) combine details in a way that clearly supports the stated claim. Eliminate any option that misses the timing, ignores the protection, or introduces information not in the notes.
Hints
Focus on the exact goal in the question
Underline the words "how quickly" and "protect themselves from light-induced damage" in the prompt. Any correct choice must clearly address both the speed and the protective function.
Find the relevant notes
Look back at the notes and find where they talk about damage from bright light, protective mechanisms, and anything about time or speed. Those are the ideas your sentence must combine.
Test each choice against all parts of the goal
For each answer choice, ask: (1) Does it say how fast the protection happens? (2) Does it show that plants are protecting themselves from light damage? (3) Is it clearly based on the information given in the notes, without adding new ideas?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking for
The question says the student wants a sentence that "makes and supports a claim about how quickly some plants can protect themselves from light-induced damage."
So the correct answer must:
- Make a claim (not just state a simple fact)
- Be about how quickly the protection happens (timing/speed)
- Be about plant protection from light-induced damage
- Use relevant information from the notes to support that claim
Pull out the relevant information from the notes
Look at which notes relate to damage from light, protection, and speed:
- Note 2: Bright light can damage chlorophyll molecules.
- Note 3: Certain plants have protective mechanisms that dissipate excess energy as heat.
- Note 4: A specific mechanism, non-photochemical quenching, can switch on and off within seconds as light intensity changes.
From these, we learn that:
- Bright light can be damaging.
- Plants have a heat-dissipating protective mechanism.
- This mechanism can turn on and off very quickly (within seconds).
Check each option against the task and notes
Now compare each choice to the requirements:
- Choice A talks about when photosynthesis begins and that bright light can damage chlorophyll. It mentions damage but nothing about protection or how fast protection happens.
- Choice B says plants have protective mechanisms and names non-photochemical quenching, but it does not mention any timing (no “within seconds” or similar).
- Choice C mentions responding quickly to damaging bright light, turning on a specific protective mechanism, and releasing excess energy as heat. It includes speed and explains protection.
- Choice D talks about non-photochemical quenching and protection but introduces “between photosynthesis events,” which is not in the notes, and also does not mention speed.
Only one option clearly includes both speed and protection using details from the notes.
Select the sentence that fully satisfies the goal
The only choice that (1) makes a claim about how quickly protection occurs, (2) clearly shows protection from bright light damage, and (3) uses the notes about non-photochemical quenching switching on within seconds and safely releasing excess energy as heat is:
C) To respond quickly to damaging bright light, some plants can switch on non-photochemical quenching within seconds, safely releasing excess energy as heat.