Question 142·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has compiled the following notes:
- Seagrass meadows cover less than 0.2% of the ocean floor but store about 10% of the ocean’s carbon each year.
- When seagrass meadows degrade, much of this stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
- “Blue carbon” refers to carbon captured and stored by coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows.
- Marine biologist Dr. Indah Rahman conducted a 10-year study of seagrass restoration in Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands.
- Rahman’s team discovered that restored seagrass meadows sequestered carbon at twice the rate of natural meadows during their first five years.
The student wants to introduce Rahman’s research in a post for an environmental blog whose readers might be unfamiliar with the concept of blue carbon. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by carefully reading the question stem and underlining the goal (what the sentence must do) and the audience (who is reading). Then, scan the notes and mark which bullet points directly support that goal. Look for the answer choice that combines exactly the necessary pieces of information—no more, no less—without distorting the notes. Quickly eliminate any option that (1) ignores part of the task (for example, doesn’t define a key term for an unfamiliar audience), (2) leaves out required elements like the specific research, or (3) attributes facts to the study that the notes don’t support.
Hints
Focus on the task in the question
Underline the phrases “introduce Rahman’s research” and “readers might be unfamiliar with the concept of blue carbon.” What must the sentence include because of these phrases?
Match notes to the goal
Which note explains what blue carbon is, and which note(s) describe Dr. Rahman’s study and its findings? The best answer should draw from both types of information.
Eliminate incomplete options
Cross out any choice that doesn’t mention Rahman’s research at all or that mentions her study but doesn’t help a new reader understand what blue carbon means.
Watch for misused details
Be careful of choices that shove in impressive-sounding statistics but don’t truly match the research focus or the need to explain the key term to unfamiliar readers.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the writing goal
The question says the student is writing for an environmental blog whose readers might be unfamiliar with the concept of blue carbon and wants to introduce Rahman’s research.
So the sentence must do two things:
- Explain what blue carbon is in simple terms for new readers.
- Connect that idea to Dr. Rahman’s research on seagrass meadows.
Find the relevant notes
Look back at the notes and match them to the goal:
- The third bullet defines blue carbon: “‘Blue carbon’ refers to carbon captured and stored by coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows.” This helps explain the concept to unfamiliar readers.
- The fourth and fifth bullets describe Rahman’s work: a 10-year study of seagrass restoration and the finding that restored meadows sequestered carbon at twice the rate of natural meadows during their first five years.
An ideal sentence will combine the blue carbon definition with Rahman’s key research result.
Test each answer against the goal
Now check each choice:
- Does it explain or clearly signal what blue carbon is for someone who doesn’t know the term?
- Does it introduce Rahman’s research accurately and specifically from the notes?
Choices that only talk about seagrass in general, or only talk about Rahman without explaining blue carbon, do not fully meet the goal.
Choose the option that does both jobs
Only Choice A both defines blue carbon and introduces Rahman’s research using accurate details from the notes: it explains that blue carbon is carbon stored by coastal ecosystems and then states that, in Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, Dr. Rahman found restored seagrass meadows locked away twice as much carbon as natural meadows during their first five years, directly matching the notes.