Question 219·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Food waste makes up a large portion of urban landfills.
- Restaurants that join municipal composting programs divert up to 60% of their waste from landfills.
- After implementing a citywide restaurant-composting initiative, Tallbridge reduced municipal garbage-collection costs by 15%.
- The local waste authority supplied composting bins to restaurants at no cost.
- Restaurant owners report that customers respond positively to visible composting efforts.
The student wants to write a sentence encouraging other cities to adopt restaurant-composting programs. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For “use the notes to write a sentence” questions, first underline the goal in the prompt (here, encouraging other cities to adopt programs). Then quickly scan the notes and star the 1–2 pieces of information that best serve that goal—usually data or outcomes that directly support the argument. Next, eliminate any answer that (1) uses only a side detail, (2) changes the facts from the notes, or (3) focuses on the wrong audience or purpose. The correct choice will accurately combine the most persuasive, relevant notes and clearly match the stated goal.
Hints
Clarify the audience and purpose
Ask yourself: Who is the sentence trying to persuade, and to do what? Is it focusing on restaurant owners, customers, or city governments?
Locate the strongest persuasive evidence in the notes
Look back at the bullet points and decide which pieces of information would be most convincing to a city deciding whether to start a composting program.
Watch for scope: one city vs. other cities
Be careful about choices that only describe what happened in Tallbridge without clearly explaining why that should matter to other cities.
Check for accurate and relevant use of details
Make sure the choice does not change what the notes say (for example, about percentages) or overemphasize minor details that don’t directly support the goal of encouraging adoption.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing goal
The prompt says the student wants to write “a sentence encouraging other cities to adopt restaurant-composting programs.” That means the sentence should:
- Promote or recommend these programs.
- Focus on why other cities should adopt them (clear benefits).
- Be aimed at cities/municipalities, not just restaurants or customers.
Decide which notes are most relevant to that goal
Look at the bullets and ask, “What would convince a city government?” The most persuasive points for a city are:
- Restaurant composting diverts up to 60% of waste from landfills (less landfill waste).
- Tallbridge’s initiative reduced municipal garbage-collection costs by 15% (saves money).
These are city-level benefits. The other notes (free bins, customer appreciation) are details, but not the strongest reasons for a city to adopt the program.
Check which option combines the right kind of evidence
Now scan the choices for one that:
- Clearly mentions citywide restaurant-composting programs.
- Uses both the waste-reduction and cost-saving facts from the notes.
- Connects those facts to an argument that such programs are beneficial.
Eliminate options that focus only on side details (like free bins or customer opinions) or that talk only about Tallbridge without generalizing to other cities.
Confirm the choice that best matches the goal and notes
Choice B directly states that citywide restaurant-composting programs can cut both waste and costs and supports this with two accurate facts from the notes: restaurants in such programs divert up to 60% of their waste from landfills, and Tallbridge reduced municipal garbage-collection expenses by 15% after implementing its initiative. This both uses the most persuasive notes and clearly encourages other cities to adopt similar programs, so B is correct.