Question 187·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Roughly 800 community gardens existed in the United States in 2009.
By 2019, the number of community gardens had grown to more than 2,500.
Average prices for fresh produce rose about 18% between 2009 and 2019.
A nationwide survey found that 63% of community gardeners cite access to affordable fresh food as their primary motivation.
Starting in 2010, several cities—including Detroit and Portland—offered free compost and tool-lending programs to support local gardening efforts.
The student wants to emphasize the relationship between rising produce prices and the growth in the number of community gardens. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, start by underlining the task words in the question (for example, "emphasize the relationship between X and Y"). Then scan the notes and mark only the pieces directly about X and about Y. Next, quickly eliminate any choices that (1) use irrelevant notes, (2) talk about only X or only Y, or (3) add new claims not supported by the notes. Among the remaining options, pick the one that most clearly and directly links the required ideas, ideally using specific details (numbers, dates, or cause–effect language) from the notes without adding extra, unsupported information.
Hints
Focus on the exact goal words
Underline the key words in the question: "relationship," "rising produce prices," and "growth in the number of community gardens." Any correct answer must address all three ideas, not just one or two.
Match choices to specific notes
Look at which notes mention numbers over time for gardens and prices. Then check which answer choices actually use those kinds of details rather than bringing in other information from the notes.
Watch out for one-sided answers
Eliminate any choice that talks only about city programs, only about gardeners’ motivations, or only about rising prices without mentioning community gardens increasing.
Check for a clear cause–effect link
Among the remaining options, look for language that suggests a link or connection between the two trends, not just listing them separately.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify what the question is asking you to emphasize
The prompt says: "emphasize the relationship between rising produce prices and the growth in the number of community gardens." That means the best sentence must do both of these things:
- Mention the growth in community gardens.
- Mention the rise in produce prices.
- Show a connection or relationship between the two.
Identify the relevant notes
Look back at the notes and find the ones about:
- The number of community gardens: roughly 800 in 2009 and more than 2,500 in 2019.
- Produce prices: average prices for fresh produce rose about 18% between 2009 and 2019. These are the only notes that give you the numbers over time needed to describe both growth in gardens and rising prices.
Check each answer against the task
Go through the answer choices and ask for each one:
- Does it mention the increase in community gardens?
- Does it mention the increase in produce prices?
- Does it show that one is linked to the other? Choices that talk only about city programs, only about gardener motivation, or only about rising prices without connecting them to garden growth do not meet the goal.
Choose the sentence that links both trends clearly
Only one option includes both the growth in gardens (from roughly 800 to more than 2,500 between 2009 and 2019) and the 18 percent increase in produce prices and explicitly says that many gardeners link the rise in gardens to the rise in prices. That sentence is: "Between 2009 and 2019, the number of community gardens in the United States climbed from roughly 800 to more than 2,500, a rise many gardeners link to the 18 percent increase in produce prices during the same period."