Question 150·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While preparing an editorial about daylight saving time (DST), a student has gathered the following notes:
- A 2019 meta-analysis of 28 studies found a 5% increase in heart attacks during the week following the spring DST transition.
- In a 2020 position statement, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) warned that seasonal clock changes pose hazards to human health and recommended eliminating them.
- A 2021 survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that 70% of small businesses experienced higher evening sales during DST months.
- Economist Dr. Hendrik Wolff’s 2018 analysis concluded that DST reduces electricity use by only 0.4% on average.
The student wants to include a quotation that highlights medical experts’ concerns about the health risks of DST clock changes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to achieve this purpose?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, first restate the task in your own words and underline the key requirements (who is speaking, what topic, and what attitude or purpose). Then quickly label each note or answer choice by source (medical experts, businesses, government, individuals) and topic (health, money, environment, etc.). Eliminate any options that don’t match both the right source and the right focus, and among the remaining choices, prefer the one whose wording most directly fulfills the stated purpose (for example, explicitly expressing concern, support, or opposition as the question describes).
Hints
Underline key parts of the task
In the question, underline “medical experts,” “concerns,” “health risks,” and “DST clock changes.” Make sure the choice you pick clearly connects to all of these ideas, not just one or two.
Check who is speaking in each choice
Look at the source named in each answer (researchers, a medical academy, a business group, an economist). Ask: Who counts as medical experts and who doesn’t?
Focus on concern about health hazards
Among the options that involve health, see which one actually expresses worry or a warning about health hazards from clock changes, rather than just giving a number or talking about money or energy.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify the writing goal
The question says the student wants “a quotation that highlights medical experts’ concerns about the health risks of DST clock changes.” That means the best answer must:
- Be a quotation from the notes
- Come from medical experts (not businesses, economists, etc.)
- Emphasize concern or warning
- Be about health risks caused by DST clock changes
Identify which notes involve medical or health-related sources
Look at who is behind each note:
- 2019 meta-analysis with a 5% increase in heart attacks: health-related research, but the quote given is a statistic.
- 2020 position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM): a professional medical organization.
- 2021 survey from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: a business group, not medical.
- 2018 analysis by economist Dr. Hendrik Wolff: economic/energy focus, not a medical expert.
Only the first two bullets are clearly about health; only one bullet clearly comes from an explicitly medical organization.
Check which information most clearly shows concern about health risks
Now look at what each relevant note actually says:
- The meta-analysis note gives a statistic about heart attacks after spring DST. This shows a health effect but does not itself voice concern; it just reports data.
- The AASM note says seasonal clock changes “pose hazards to human health” and that the group recommended eliminating them. This language clearly expresses worry and opposition to DST clock changes on health grounds.
The best quote will directly reflect both medical authority and an explicit warning about health hazards from changing the clocks.
Match the best-fitting note to the answer choice
The choice that quotes a medical organization warning that seasonal clock changes “pose hazards to human health” and calling for eliminating them is:
B) The AASM’s 2020 statement cautioned that seasonal clock changes “pose hazards to human health” and called for eliminating them.