Question 168·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Microalgae can produce up to 30 times more oil per acre than terrestrial oilseed crops such as soybeans.
- Unlike corn-based ethanol production, cultivating microalgae does not require arable land and can use saline or wastewater.
- Microalgae absorb carbon dioxide during growth, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The student wants to emphasize the land-use advantage of producing biofuel from microalgae. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, start by underlining the goal phrase in the prompt (here, "emphasize the land-use advantage"). Then scan the notes and pick the one that directly addresses that goal. Next, compare the answer choices and eliminate any that focus on different ideas from the notes (like yield or emissions) instead of the requested focus. Choose the option that (1) uses the relevant note accurately and (2) keeps the emphasis exactly on what the question asks, without adding distracting or unrelated details.
Hints
Focus on the task word
Underline the phrase "emphasize the land-use advantage" in the question. What must a correct answer mention to fulfill that goal?
Find the relevant note
Look at the three bullet-point notes. Which one talks about where microalgae can be grown or the type of land (or water) they need?
Match content, not just topic
Eliminate any answer choices that only talk about how much oil is produced or about greenhouse gas emissions, without clearly addressing land use or competition for farmland.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify the writing goal
Focus on the exact task: the student wants to emphasize the land-use advantage of producing biofuel from microalgae. That means the best sentence must talk specifically about how land (or lack of farmland) is involved, not just oil yield or emissions.
Identify which note is about land use
Look back at the three notes:
- Note 1: about oil per acre (productivity, not land type).
- Note 2: about not requiring arable land and using saline or wastewater.
- Note 3: about absorbing carbon dioxide (emissions).
Only Note 2 directly addresses land use: it contrasts microalgae with corn-based ethanol in terms of needing arable farmland.
Match answer choices to the land-use note
Now see which option uses the land-use information from Note 2:
- Some choices focus on oil yield per acre (how much oil, not where it is grown).
- Some choices focus on carbon dioxide absorption and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Only one choice clearly mentions that microalgae can be grown in saline or wastewater instead of on farmland, and explicitly contrasts this with corn-based ethanol competing for arable land.
That choice directly expresses the land-use advantage the question asks for and correctly uses Note 2, so the best answer is: “Because they can be cultivated in saline or wastewater rather than on farmland, microalgae avoid the competition for arable land that corn-based ethanol production creates.”