Question 126·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The first U.S. patent for a commercially viable LED light bulb was granted to Shuji Nakamura in 1993.
- By 1996, major Japanese electronics companies had begun mass-producing LED bulbs based on Nakamura’s design.
- LED bulbs last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and use at least 75% less energy.
The student wants to emphasize the rapid pace at which Nakamura’s invention transitioned from patent to mass production.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, start by underlining the specific goal in the prompt (here, “rapid pace” from patent to mass production). Then scan the notes and mark only the details that directly support that goal, ignoring extra information. Next, eliminate choices that (1) leave out a key piece of relevant information (like either the patent or mass production date), (2) introduce irrelevant notes (like lifespan or energy savings when the goal is speed), or (3) use wording that contradicts the goal (such as “eventually” when you need to show quickness). Choose the sentence that most clearly and concisely uses the relevant notes to fulfill the stated purpose.
Hints
Focus on the specific goal
Underline the phrase in the question that states the goal: the student wants to emphasize “the rapid pace at which Nakamura’s invention transitioned from patent to mass production.” Ask yourself: what two events need to be connected, and what aspect of that connection must be highlighted?
Select the relevant notes
Look back at the notes and find which bullets tell you when the patent was granted and when mass production began. Which note is extra information that does not help show speed between those two events?
Check for both events and speed language
In the answer choices, look for a sentence that includes both the patent and mass production and also uses wording that makes the short time between them clear, rather than just mentioning them in a neutral or slow-sounding way.
Watch for distractions
Be careful with choices that spend time describing how long bulbs last or how much energy they save. Ask: does this detail help show how quickly the invention moved from patent to mass production, or is it just extra?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing task
The question says the student wants to emphasize the rapid pace at which Nakamura’s invention went from patent to mass production.
So the best sentence must:
- Mention the patent
- Mention mass production
- Make it clear that the time between them was very short (fast/rapid).
Pull out the relevant notes
From the notes:
- Patent: “The first U.S. patent for a commercially viable LED light bulb was granted to Shuji Nakamura in 1993.”
- Mass production: “By 1996, major Japanese electronics companies had begun mass-producing LED bulbs based on Nakamura’s design.”
- Extra info: LED bulbs last longer and use less energy.
For emphasizing rapid pace from patent to mass production, the first two bullets (1993 and 1996) are crucial; the third bullet about efficiency and lifespan is not needed for this goal.
Eliminate choices that don’t match the goal
Now compare each option to the goal:
- Choice A talks about the 1993 patent and that LEDs last longer, but says nothing about mass production or speed.
- Choice C talks about mass production in 1996 and energy use, but never mentions the patent year, so it can’t show how fast the transition was.
- Choice D includes both the 1993 patent and 1996 mass production, but it says “eventually,” which suggests slowness, and it focuses on bulbs lasting longer—details that distract from the idea of a rapid transition.
That leaves one choice that both uses the 1993 and 1996 dates and clearly highlights the short time span as unusually quick.
Confirm the best match
The remaining choice is:
“Granted a U.S. patent in 1993, Shuji Nakamura saw his LED light bulb enter mass production just three years later, a remarkably swift turnaround for new technology.”
This sentence:
- Uses the 1993 patent and 1996 mass production dates from the notes (three-year gap), and
- Explicitly calls that gap “just three years later” and “a remarkably swift turnaround,” directly emphasizing the rapid pace from patent to mass production.
Therefore, the correct answer is B.