Question 132·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Coffee beans contain about 1–2% caffeine by weight.
- Tea leaves contain about 3–4% caffeine by weight.
- A standard 8-ounce (oz) brewed cup of coffee typically delivers around 95 milligrams (mg) of caffeine.
- A standard 8-ounce brewed cup of tea typically delivers around 26 mg of caffeine.
- Brewing a cup of coffee generally uses roughly 10 g of ground coffee, whereas brewing a cup of tea uses roughly 2 g of tea leaves.
The student wants to highlight the apparently contradictory fact that a cup of coffee usually contains more caffeine than a cup of tea even though tea leaves themselves contain more caffeine than coffee beans. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by restating the task in your own words: what exact relationship or idea does the writer want to highlight (contrast, cause-effect, explanation, etc.)? Then quickly scan the notes and mark only the facts that relate directly to that goal. Finally, test each answer choice against the goal: it must use the relevant notes accurately (no contradictions) and include all key parts of the idea the question mentions, often signaled by contrast or cause-effect words. Eliminate answers that are factually wrong, incomplete, or off-topic, even if they sound smooth.
Hints
Focus on what is “apparently contradictory”
Underline the two parts of the contradiction described in the question: one part is about the amount of caffeine in a cup, and the other is about the caffeine concentration in the leaves/beans themselves.
Match each part to specific notes
Which bullets tell you about caffeine per 8-ounce cup, and which bullets tell you about caffeine percent by weight in coffee beans vs. tea leaves?
Look for both ideas and a contrast word
As you read the answer choices, ask: Does this choice mention both the per-cup caffeine difference and the by-weight difference, and does it signal a contrast (for example, with a word like "although")?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writer’s exact goal
The question says the student wants to highlight an apparently contradictory fact:
- A cup of coffee has more caffeine than a cup of tea.
- But tea leaves themselves have more caffeine by weight than coffee beans.
Any correct sentence must clearly include both of these ideas and show the contrast between them.
Locate the relevant information in the notes
From the notes:
- Coffee beans: about 1–2% caffeine by weight.
- Tea leaves: about 3–4% caffeine by weight.
- A standard 8-ounce cup of coffee: about 95 mg of caffeine.
- A standard 8-ounce cup of tea: about 26 mg of caffeine.
So the notes tell us:
- Per cup, coffee has more caffeine than tea (95 mg vs. 26 mg).
- Per weight of plant material, tea leaves have more caffeine than coffee beans (3–4% vs. 1–2%).
Translate the needed contrast into plain language
In plain language, the sentence we want should say something like:
- "Even though tea leaves have a higher caffeine concentration than coffee beans, a cup of coffee ends up giving you much more caffeine than a cup of tea."
So as you check answer choices, look for one that:
- States coffee has far more caffeine per cup than tea.
- States tea leaves have a higher concentration by weight than coffee beans.
- Uses a contrast word (like "although" or "even though") to show the surprising relationship.
Match the choice that captures both sides of the contrast
Now evaluate each option:
- One option explicitly says coffee delivers far more caffeine per cup than tea, and also that tea leaves contain a higher concentration of caffeine by weight than coffee beans, linked with the contrast word "Although."
That option is choice D: "Although coffee delivers far more caffeine per cup than tea, tea leaves actually contain a higher concentration of caffeine by weight than coffee beans." This directly and accurately expresses the contradiction described in the notes.