Question 165·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Bee hotels are wooden or bamboo structures containing drilled or natural holes that provide nesting sites for solitary bees.
- In a 2021 survey of 600 bee hotels installed in urban parks, ecologists found that 55% of the occupants were parasitic wasps rather than bees.
- The researchers warned that poorly designed bee hotels could actually harm bee populations by giving parasites a place to breed.
- They advised using smaller entrance holes and periodically cleaning the hotels to reduce parasite infestations.
The student wants to highlight the researchers’ warning and proposed solution in a single sentence. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For “notes to sentence” questions, first identify the exact goal words in the question (for example, a warning and proposed solution). Then scan the notes and mentally label which bullets match that goal. Eliminate any answer choice that: (1) only repeats background or data, (2) includes only one of the needed parts, or (3) contradicts the attitude or conclusion in the notes. The correct choice will accurately combine all required elements in one clear, concise sentence without changing the meaning of the original notes.
Hints
Focus on the task words
Underline the words “researchers’ warning” and “proposed solution.” Ask yourself: which notes describe a problem or danger, and which notes describe what to do about it?
Match content, not just keywords
Don’t pick a choice just because it mentions “parasitic wasps” or “bee hotels.” Make sure it clearly communicates both a negative consequence the researchers are worried about and specific actions they recommend.
Watch for wrong tone or emphasis
Check whether each option presents bee hotels as mainly helpful or potentially harmful. Compare that tone with what the notes say the researchers did and did not recommend.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify exactly what the question is asking for
The question says the student wants “to highlight the researchers’ warning and proposed solution in a single sentence.”
So the correct choice must include:
- the warning: a danger/problem the researchers pointed out, and
- the solution: what they advised doing about that problem.
Anything that only gives background, only data, or only one of these pieces will not fully answer the task.
Locate the warning and solution in the notes
Look back at the bullet points:
- Warning: “The researchers warned that poorly designed bee hotels could actually harm bee populations by giving parasites a place to breed.”
- Solution: “They advised using smaller entrance holes and periodically cleaning the hotels to reduce parasite infestations.”
So we are looking for a choice that captures both:
- harm to bees from parasites in poorly designed hotels (warning), and
- using smaller holes and regular cleaning (solution).
Check each option against the task
Go through the answer choices:
- A) Gives background about what bee hotels are and why people install them, but it does not clearly state the researchers’ warning and their proposed fixes.
- B) Reports the survey’s parasitic-wasp finding, but it doesn’t include the warning about harm to bees or the recommended design/maintenance changes.
- D) Suggests bee hotels are generally safe and do not need redesign or cleaning, which contradicts the notes’ warning and advice.
Only one option both states a warning about harm to bees and includes the specific advice about smaller holes and cleaning.
Confirm the best match
Choice C includes (1) the study context and finding (55% parasitic wasps), (2) the researchers’ warning (the hotels could harm bees), and (3) the solution (smaller holes and regular cleaning), matching the notes.
Therefore, the correct answer is: After surveying 600 bee hotels in urban parks in 2021 and finding that 55% of occupants were parasitic wasps, researchers warned the hotels could harm bees unless made with smaller holes and cleaned regularly.