Question 28·Easy·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Lichens are composite organisms made of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner (an alga or a cyanobacterium).
- Lichens are not plants.
- Lichens grow slowly and can colonize bare rocks and tree bark.
- Because lichens are sensitive to air pollution, scientists use them as bioindicators of air quality.
The student wants to define what lichens are. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For note-based rhetorical synthesis questions, first underline the goal word in the question (e.g., “define,” “explain,” “summarize”). Then, scan the notes and identify which bullet or bullets directly serve that goal—here, the one that states what lichens are. Next, eliminate choices that focus on secondary details (uses, examples, locations) rather than the core task, and select the answer that most directly and accurately reflects the relevant note without shifting the focus or adding unsupported information.
Hints
Clarify the goal
The question says the student wants to define what lichens are. Ask yourself: which option tells what lichens are, not just what they do?
Use the notes strategically
Look at the four bullet points in the notes. Which one gives the basic description of lichens themselves, instead of talking about where they live or how scientists use them?
Eliminate off-task choices
Cross out any answer choice that mainly talks about lichens as tools for scientists, or describes how and where they grow, instead of giving their basic identity.
Check for direct alignment
Among the remaining choices, pick the one that best and most directly reflects the note that defines lichens, without shifting the focus to extra details.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the task in the question
The question says: "The student wants to define what lichens are." That means you are looking for a sentence that tells what lichens are, not their uses, habitats, or other properties.
Decide which note actually defines lichens
Look back at the four notes:
- One note explains what lichens are made of (their basic nature).
- The others talk about the fact that they are not plants, where they can grow, and how scientists use them. The best definition will mainly come from the note that directly states what lichens are, rather than how they behave or are used.
Match the definition note to the answer choices
Now, scan the answer choices and ask: Which choice explains what lichens are, using the information from the note that defines their basic composition, instead of focusing on where they grow or how scientists use them? Eliminate any choice that only talks about their use as indicators, their location, or their growth pattern.
Select the answer that clearly defines lichens
The only answer that directly defines lichens by describing their fundamental composition is:
B) Lichens are composite organisms formed by a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, such as an alga or a cyanobacterium.