Question 52·Easy·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- LED streetlights use less electricity than high-pressure sodium (HPS) streetlights.
- LED fixtures last much longer, reducing maintenance and replacement costs.
- The directionality of LED light can reduce light pollution.
- LED streetlights typically have a higher upfront purchase price than HPS models.
The student wants to highlight a cost-saving advantage of LED streetlights. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, start by underlining the exact goal in the question (for example, “highlight a cost-saving advantage”). Then scan the notes and mark only the pieces of information that directly serve that goal. Eliminate any answer choice that (1) does not use those specific relevant details, (2) focuses on a different topic from the goal, or (3) states the opposite of what the goal asks for. Finally, choose the option that both matches the goal and accurately combines the relevant notes into one clear sentence.
Hints
Focus on the task word in the question
Reread the question and underline what the student wants to do. Is it to describe, compare, define, or highlight a specific type of benefit?
Find which notes relate to that task
Look back at the bullet points and separate which ones talk about money or expenses and which ones talk about other effects like environment or popularity.
Match notes to choices, not just topic
Several choices mention LED streetlights, but not all of them use the same kind of information from the notes. Ask: which choice uses the money-related details rather than just any fact?
Watch for the opposite of the goal
Be careful of any option that mentions higher costs or a disadvantage when the question asks for an advantage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the student’s goal
Read the question stem carefully: the student wants to highlight a cost-saving advantage of LED streetlights. So the correct answer must (1) be about LED streetlights and (2) clearly describe how they save money, especially over time.
Find cost-related information in the notes
Scan the notes and mark anything related to money or costs:
- "use less electricity" → saves money on energy bills.
- "last much longer, reducing maintenance and replacement costs" → saves money on upkeep.
- "directionality ... reduce light pollution" → about environmental / lighting effects, not costs.
- "higher upfront purchase price" → about initial expense, not savings. Only the first two bullets describe cost savings; the last bullet is actually a higher cost, not a savings.
Eliminate choices that don’t match the goal
Now compare each option to the goal and the cost-saving notes:
- A talks about a higher upfront cost, which is the opposite of a cost-saving advantage → does not match.
- C mentions reduced light pollution, which is not about saving money → off-topic for the goal.
- D talks about the popularity of high-pressure sodium streetlights, not about LED cost savings → off-topic and wrong focus. Only choice B talks about LEDs in a way that connects directly to saving money.
Confirm the best match
Check that the remaining choice uses the relevant notes and clearly shows a cost-saving advantage: B) Because they use less electricity and last longer, LED streetlights can lower long-term operating and maintenance costs for cities. This sentence combines the notes about using less electricity and lasting longer and explicitly explains that these features lower long-term costs, so B is the correct answer.