Question 146·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Ecologist Mei Wang investigated how coast redwood seedlings tolerate drought.
- In a controlled laboratory experiment, seedlings were grown under varying soil-moisture conditions.
- Under low‐moisture conditions, seedlings increased their root-to-shoot ratio, allocating more biomass to roots to improve water uptake.
- Seedlings also produced membrane-stabilizing proteins that protect cells from dehydration.
- Wang concluded that these combined adaptations enable young redwoods to survive extended periods of drought.
The student wants to summarize Wang’s findings for a class presentation. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For questions asking which choice best summarizes notes or findings, first restate the task in your own words (summary of methods, results, purpose, etc.). Then quickly scan the notes to pinpoint the main point and any major subpoints (often found in the last bullet or a sentence with words like “concluded” or “therefore”). Eliminate choices that only describe setup, repeat a single detail, or ignore a clearly important part of the notes. Choose the answer that is both complete (covers all key ideas) and concise (no extra, off-topic information) while matching the notes’ meaning closely.
Hints
Clarify what kind of sentence is needed
The student wants a summary of findings for a presentation. Ask yourself: which choice states what the study learned or concluded, rather than how the study was done or just one small detail?
Locate the conclusion in the notes
Look at the last bullet point: it directly states what Wang concluded about how the seedlings survive drought. Keep that idea in mind as you evaluate the answer choices.
Check for completeness of the summary
The notes show more than one way seedlings cope with drought. Look for an option that brings together all the main adaptations and connects them to the overall outcome mentioned in the conclusion.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task in the question
The prompt says the student wants to summarize Wang’s findings for a class presentation. That means you are looking for a sentence that captures the main result or conclusion of the study, not just a detail or a description of the experiment.
Identify the key findings in the notes
Look back at the notes and ask: What did Wang actually conclude?
From the bullets:
- Wang studied how seedlings tolerate drought.
- Under low moisture, seedlings increase root-to-shoot ratio (more growth to roots for water uptake).
- Seedlings also produce membrane-stabilizing proteins that protect cells.
- Wang concluded that these combined adaptations let young redwoods survive extended periods of drought.
So any good summary of the findings should mention both adaptations (roots and proteins) and connect them to surviving drought.
Check each answer choice against the key findings
Now compare each option to what you identified:
- Choice A describes the experimental setup (different soil-moisture levels) but does not state the findings.
- Choice B mentions only one adaptation (more root growth) and doesn’t mention the other adaptation or the overall conclusion about surviving extended droughts.
- Choice C focuses only on the protective proteins, again leaving out the root growth and the full conclusion.
- Choice D includes both major adaptations (diverting growth to roots and producing membrane-protective proteins) and links them to surviving extended droughts, which matches Wang’s stated conclusion.
Therefore, the correct answer is D) Wang's study found that coast redwood seedlings survive extended droughts by both diverting growth to their roots and producing membrane-protective proteins.