Question 208·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The resplendent quetzal is considered endangered primarily because of habitat loss in Central America.
- In 2022, a conservation program planted 10,000 native trees in Costa Rica’s cloud forests.
- One year later, researchers recorded a 25% increase in quetzal nesting sites in the reforested area.
- Biologists credit the surge in nesting to the availability of new cavities in the young trees.
The student wants to highlight the relationship between the conservation effort and the growth in quetzal nesting sites. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, first restate the task in your own words (for example, "I need a sentence that links X and Y"). Then scan the notes and quickly mark which bullets represent X and which represent Y. Go to the answer choices and eliminate any option that does not clearly include both sides of that relationship or that focuses only on background details. Among the remaining choices, prefer the one that uses specific, relevant details (numbers, timing, or cause-and-effect language) instead of vague statements, since the SAT typically rewards precise connections over general claims.
Hints
Clarify the writing goal
Underline the words "highlight the relationship between the conservation effort and the growth in quetzal nesting sites." Any good answer must include both the conservation effort and the growth in nesting sites, not just one or general background.
Match the notes to that goal
Look back at the bullet points and find which ones describe the conservation program and which one describes what happened to nesting sites afterward. The best option should combine those specific details.
Check for a clear link, not just facts
Among the answer choices, look for one that not only mentions the tree planting and nesting sites, but also makes it clear that the nesting-site increase comes after (and may be due to) the conservation effort.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task in the question
The question says the student wants to highlight the relationship between the conservation effort and the growth in quetzal nesting sites. That means the best sentence must:
- Mention the conservation effort (the tree-planting program), and
- Mention the growth in nesting sites (the increase in nesting), and
- Show how these two are connected (cause-and-effect or at least a clear link).
Pull out the key notes that match the goal
From the notes, the pieces related to the question’s goal are:
- Conservation effort: "In 2022, a conservation program planted 10,000 native trees in Costa Rica’s cloud forests."
- Growth in nesting sites: "One year later, researchers recorded a 25% increase in quetzal nesting sites in the reforested area."
- Link between them: "Biologists credit the surge in nesting to the availability of new cavities in the young trees."
So the ideal answer will combine these ideas: the 2022 tree-planting and the later 25% increase, with a clear suggestion that the effort led to the growth.
Eliminate choices that miss part of the relationship
Now look at each choice for whether it:
- Clearly mentions the 2022 conservation program (tree planting), and
- Clearly mentions an increase in nesting sites, and
- At least implies the increase may be because of the conservation effort.
Any choice that only gives background (like the bird is endangered), or only mentions planting trees without the result, or only mentions the bird’s status without the conservation effort, does not meet the goal.
Select the choice that best links cause and effect
Only one option directly states that after the 2022 tree-planting program, biologists documented a 25% increase in quetzal nesting sites and interprets this as evidence that the conservation effort is helping the endangered bird. This clearly connects the conservation action with the growth in nesting sites, fulfilling the stated goal.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
B) Biologists documented a 25% increase in quetzal nesting sites one year after a 2022 program planted 10,000 native trees in Costa Rica’s cloud forests, suggesting the conservation effort is helping the endangered bird.