Question 205·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has compiled the following notes:
Conventional flat rooftops can reach 150°F on a hot summer day, intensifying the urban heat-island effect.
Green roofs use layers of soil and vegetation that keep roof surfaces up to 30°F cooler.
The soil and roots on green roofs can retain up to 80% of a one-inch rainfall, sharply reducing storm-water runoff.
During heavy storms, excess runoff can overwhelm city sewer systems and flood streets.
Several municipalities offer tax incentives to encourage businesses to install green roofs.
The student is drafting a report for a municipal planning board and wants one sentence that emphasizes the dual environmental benefits of green roofs. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to achieve this purpose?
For rhetorical synthesis questions with notes, first underline the purpose words in the question (here, "dual environmental benefits" and the audience). Next, quickly scan the notes and jot down the exact pieces of information that match that purpose—in this case, the two environmental impacts of green roofs. Then, eliminate any answer that (1) mentions only part of what’s needed, (2) adds new ideas not in the notes (or shifts to money/policy when the task is about environment), or (3) doesn’t fit the audience. Choose the option that uses only relevant notes and fully satisfies the stated purpose in a single, clear sentence.
Hints
Focus on the key phrase in the question
Pay close attention to the phrase "dual environmental benefits". What does "dual" tell you about how many benefits the sentence must describe?
Locate the environmental benefits in the notes
Look through the notes and list what environmental effects green roofs have on cities. Ignore anything about cost or tax policy for now.
Match answer choices to both benefits
For each option, ask: does this sentence mention both of the environmental effects you identified, and does it stay focused on environmental protections rather than financial issues?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task and audience
The prompt says the student is writing for a municipal planning board and wants one sentence that emphasizes the dual environmental benefits of green roofs.
Key points:
- Audience: city planners/government
- Purpose: emphasize benefits, not costs or policies
- "Dual" means the sentence must show two environmental benefits, not just one.
Identify the two environmental benefits in the notes
Scan the notes for what green roofs do for the environment:
- Green roofs keep roof surfaces up to 30°F cooler, reducing the urban heat-island effect.
- The soil and roots retain up to 80% of a one-inch rainfall, which reduces storm-water runoff.
- Excess runoff can overwhelm city sewers and flood streets.
So the two main environmental benefits are:
- Lower rooftop temperatures / less heat in cities.
- Less storm-water runoff / reduced flooding in streets.
Check each option against purpose and notes
Now compare each answer choice to the purpose and the two benefits:
- An effective sentence should mention both cooling and storm-water control (or preventing flooding).
- It should stay focused on environmental protections for cities, not cost or tax policy.
Eliminate any option that:
- Mentions only one of the benefits.
- Shifts focus to money (expense, tax incentives) instead of environmental effects.
- Fails to address the needs of a city/municipal audience.
Select the option that combines both environmental protections
Only one choice clearly brings together both key environmental benefits (cooler rooftops and reduced flooding from storm-water) and presents them as protections for cities, matching the purpose and audience:
Correct answer: C) By lowering rooftop temperatures and soaking up rainwater that would otherwise flood streets, green roofs offer cities two powerful environmental protections.