Question 21·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Engineers conducted a 2022 analysis of 50 US households that replaced 60-watt incandescent bulbs with 9-watt LED bulbs.
• Each bulb was used for an average of 3 hours per day.
• Switching to LEDs cut lighting electricity costs by about 85 percent.
• Incandescent bulbs last roughly 1,000 hours, whereas LEDs last about 15,000 hours.
• An LED bulb costs about $4; an incandescent bulb costs about $1.
• The study calculated the payback period for LEDs at fewer than 9 months.
• Annual carbon dioxide emissions fell by approximately 450 pounds per household after the switch.
The student is writing an article and wants to emphasize both the economic and environmental benefits of switching to LED bulbs. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, first underline the specific purpose stated in the question (here, emphasize both economic and environmental benefits). Next, quickly tag each note in the prompt by category (money/cost vs. environment vs. background). Then scan the answer choices and eliminate any that: (1) use only one category when the question clearly asks for two, or (2) include extra details that don’t serve the stated goal. Finally, pick the choice that uses the most relevant, concise combination of notes to fulfill the exact purpose described.
Hints
Clarify the writing goal
Focus on the last sentence of the prompt: the student wants to emphasize both the economic and the environmental benefits. What kinds of information in the notes match each of these two ideas?
Locate relevant notes
In the notes, underline or mentally mark the points that talk about money or costs and the point that talks about effects on the environment (for example, emissions). Any good answer must draw from both of these groups.
Screen the answer choices
Go through the answer choices and ask of each: does it talk about saving money or reducing costs AND does it talk about impact on the environment? Cross out any choice that only talks about prices, lifespans, or usage and ignores environmental impact.
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the task in your own words
The student wants one sentence that emphasizes two different kinds of benefits from switching to LED bulbs:
- Economic benefits (money or cost related)
- Environmental benefits (effects on pollution or the planet)
So the correct choice must clearly mention both of these, not just one.
Sort the notes into economic vs. environmental
Look at the notes and group them:
Economic / money-related notes include:
- "Switching to LEDs cut lighting electricity costs by about 85 percent."
- "An LED bulb costs about 1."
- "The study calculated the payback period for LEDs at fewer than 9 months."
- Lifespan differences can also support economic benefit because longer-lasting bulbs are cost-effective.
Environmental note:
- "Annual carbon dioxide emissions fell by approximately 450 pounds per household after the switch."
To meet the goal, the correct answer must pull from at least one economic note and the environmental emissions note.
Check each choice against the goal
Now, quickly test each choice:
- Does it mention anything about saving money, cutting costs, or electricity use (economic)?
- Does it also mention anything about pollution or carbon dioxide emissions (environmental)?
Eliminate any choice that covers only money/cost/usage or only environmental impact.
Choose the option that includes both types of benefits
Only one option clearly includes both a specific cost reduction and a specific reduction in carbon emissions:
Correct Answer: D) By replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 9-watt LED, households could cut lighting electricity costs by about 85 percent and lower yearly carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 450 pounds.
This sentence uses relevant, concrete data from the notes to show economic benefits (cutting lighting electricity costs by about 85%) and environmental benefits (lowering yearly carbon dioxide emissions by about 450 pounds).