Question 143·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has gathered the following notes:
• Oxford University ecologist Dr. Lena Wu published a study in 2022.
• She compared honeybee colonies on London rooftops with colonies in nearby rural orchards.
• Honey from urban hives showed 50% greater microbial diversity than honey from rural hives.
• Wu argues this diversity can strengthen bees’ immune systems, potentially bolstering populations threatened by disease.
The student wants to summarize Wu’s study and its significance for bee health. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For questions that ask you to choose a sentence based on research notes, first restate the goal in your own words (for example, “summarize the study and explain why it matters”). Quickly list the essential points from the notes that match that goal (such as what was studied, the key result, and its effect). Then go through the answer choices and eliminate any that: (1) include only setup but not results, (2) include results but not significance, or (3) change or add information not supported by the notes. The best answer will accurately combine multiple key bullets into one clear, specific sentence that directly satisfies the stated goal.
Hints
Clarify what the summary must include
The question asks for both a summary of Wu’s study and its significance for bee health. Ask yourself: which notes describe the result of the study, and which notes describe why that result matters?
Use multiple notes, not just one
Look for a choice that reflects information from more than one bullet point (for example, the finding about microbial diversity and the point about immune systems and threatened populations), not just the fact that a comparison was made.
Watch for accuracy and completeness
Be careful with any choice that changes the meaning of the notes or leaves out the health impact. Make sure the choice does not add claims that aren’t in the notes and does not ignore the effect on bees’ immune systems or populations.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task in the question
The question says the student wants to "summarize Wu’s study and its significance for bee health." That means the correct answer must do two things:
- State the main result of the study.
- Explain why that result is important for bee health.
Pull out the key ideas from the notes
From the notes, we need to capture:
- What the study was: a 2022 Oxford University study by Dr. Lena Wu comparing rooftop (urban) honeybee colonies with rural orchard colonies.
- What she found: honey from urban hives had 50% greater microbial diversity than honey from rural hives.
- Why it matters: Wu argues this diversity can strengthen bees’ immune systems and potentially help populations threatened by disease. A good summary sentence should include both the main finding (greater microbial diversity in rooftop/urban honey) and its effect (helping bees’ health and populations).
Eliminate choices that leave out key information or add inaccuracies
Check each option against the required elements (study + significance):
- Choice A only says that Wu compared urban and rural colonies. It describes the comparison but not what she found or why it matters for bee health.
- Choice B says urban honey contains microbes not found in rural honey. The notes never say the microbes are unique to urban hives; they only say there is 50% greater diversity. It also leaves out any mention of bee health or threatened populations.
- Choice D only claims rooftop beekeeping could help bees. It is very general and does not mention the specific finding about microbial diversity or the comparison with rural hives, and it barely connects to the idea of a study. Only one option clearly gives both the specific finding (50% greater microbial diversity in rooftop honey vs. rural honey) and the significance for bee health.
Select the sentence that fully and accurately summarizes the study and its significance
The correct answer is C) "In a 2022 Oxford study, Dr. Lena Wu found that honey from rooftop beehives had 50% greater microbial diversity than honey from rural hives, a difference she says could strengthen bees’ immune systems and help protect threatened populations." This choice accurately combines the main result of the study with Wu’s explanation of why it matters for bee health.