Question 211·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- In 2011, the city of Portland launched a bike-share program.
- Over the next five years, bicycle commuting in Portland increased by 35%.
- A 2016 study by Portland State University found that bike-share users replaced 20% of car trips shorter than three miles with bicycle trips.
- The city installed 250 miles of bike lanes during the same period, reducing peak-hour traffic congestion by 4%.
- Researchers concluded that the bike-share program contributed to lower carbon emissions.
The student wants to emphasize how the bike-share program affected commuting habits. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by underlining the goal words in the question (here, “affected commuting habits”). Then scan the notes for the one or two bullets that most directly match that goal, especially looking for cause-and-effect language linked to the topic (such as “because of,” “as a result,” or a study about program users). Finally, choose the answer that (1) is clearly supported by those notes and (2) most specifically and directly addresses the stated goal, eliminating choices that are true but focus on side effects like environment or traffic rather than the exact idea asked for.
Hints
Clarify the goal word
Focus on the phrase "affected commuting habits". Ask yourself: what kind of information would show a change in how people get to work or other regular destinations?
Find the most relevant note
Look back at the bullet points. Which note talks about people changing from one way of traveling to another because of the bike-share program?
Compare choices to that note
Once you know which note is most about changed travel behavior, check which answer choice most closely matches that specific note, not the ones about pollution or traffic in general.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
The question asks which sentence would emphasize how the bike-share program affected commuting habits.
"Commuting habits" means how people travel to work, school, or other regular destinations (for example, by car, bus, or bike). So the best sentence will describe a change in how people choose to travel that is caused by or linked to the bike-share program.
Identify the most relevant note
Look at the notes and ask: which one best shows a change in people’s travel behavior due to the bike-share program?
- Note about a 35% increase in bicycle commuting: shows a citywide trend but not clearly caused by the bike-share program alone.
- Note about bike-share users replacing 20% of short car trips with bicycle trips: shows specific people switching from cars to bikes, a direct change in commuting behavior tied to the bike-share program.
- Notes about carbon emissions and traffic congestion: talk about environmental and traffic effects, not directly about how people commute.
The note about replacing short car trips with bike trips is the clearest description of a change in commuting habits connected to the program.
Match notes to answer choices
Now compare each answer choice to the notes and to the goal:
- One choice talks about cutting carbon emissions.
- One choice talks about replacing one in five short car trips with bike trips.
- One choice focuses on bike lanes and reduced traffic congestion.
- One choice reports a 35% rise in bicycle commuting after the program’s introduction.
Only one option both (1) clearly describes a behavior change (car trips replaced by bike trips) and (2) is directly tied to the bike-share program, matching the most relevant note from Step 2.
Select the sentence that best fits the goal
The sentence that directly describes a specific change in commuting habits caused by the bike-share program is:
B) According to a Portland State University study, the bike-share program prompted commuters to swap one in five car trips under three miles for a bicycle ride.
It shows commuters changing from cars to bikes on short trips, exactly illustrating how the bike-share program affected commuting habits.