Question 137·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic cells.
Solar panels produce no noise during operation.
Wind turbines generate electricity by turning blades with the wind’s kinetic energy.
Wind turbines can produce up to 55 decibels of noise.
Both solar panels and wind turbines are renewable energy technologies that produce no direct emissions.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between solar panels and wind turbines concerning the amount of noise they generate. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions using notes, first underline the specific task in the question (for example: difference vs. similarity, noise vs. emissions). Next, scan the notes and quickly mark only the pieces of information that match that task. Then, go through the answer choices and eliminate any that (1) don’t use that specific kind of information, (2) talk about the wrong aspect, or (3) describe only one item when a comparison is needed. The correct choice will be the one that directly and efficiently fulfills the stated purpose using relevant notes and no irrelevant details.
Hints
Focus on the question’s goal
The question is not asking about how these technologies generate electricity or their emissions. What specific aspect does it want to emphasize?
Locate the relevant notes
From the list of notes, which ones give information about noise for solar panels and for wind turbines?
Look for contrast in the answer choices
Among the choices, which one both mentions noise and clearly shows a difference between solar panels and wind turbines?
Ignore extra but irrelevant facts
Some choices may be true based on the notes but do not address the question’s focus. Make sure the choice you pick directly responds to the idea of noise levels.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
The question says the student wants to emphasize a difference between solar panels and wind turbines concerning the amount of noise they generate. So the correct answer must:
- Talk about noise (not emissions, electricity, or how they work), and
- Clearly show a contrast between solar panels and wind turbines.
Find the relevant notes about noise
Look back at the notes and identify which ones discuss noise:
- "Solar panels produce no noise during operation."
- "Wind turbines can produce up to 55 decibels of noise." These are the only notes about noise and give specific information about each technology. The right answer should be based on these two points.
Check which choices mention noise and a comparison
Now test each answer choice against the goal:
- Does it mention noise?
- Does it compare or contrast solar panels and wind turbines? Eliminate any choice that:
- Does not mention noise at all, or
- Mentions noise for only one technology, or
- Talks about something else (like emissions or how they generate electricity) instead of the requested difference.
Select the choice that directly contrasts their noise levels
Only one choice uses both noise facts (silent solar panels vs. noisy wind turbines) and clearly shows the difference by contrasting them in a single sentence. That choice is: “Solar panels operate silently, whereas wind turbines can produce up to 55 decibels of noise.”