Question 54·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Hummingbirds enter torpor at night—a state of lowered heart rate and body temperature—to save energy.
- Ornithologist Sofia García fitted urban hummingbirds with tiny heart-rate loggers; on nights with strong LED streetlight exposure, torpor was rarely initiated.
- Reduced torpor corresponded with substantially higher overnight energy expenditure.
- At test sites using shielded, warmer-spectrum lighting, normal torpor patterns returned.
- García argues that cities can reduce energy stress on hummingbirds by adjusting streetlight design.
The student is preparing a one-sentence statement to persuade a city council unfamiliar with torpor to consider lighting changes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis, identify the task (here: persuade) and the audience (non-experts), then select the option that accurately combines multiple key notes into one sentence: a brief definition, the central finding, and the most policy-relevant implication. Eliminate choices that omit a required element or introduce claims not supported by the notes.
Hints
Prioritize persuasion plus accuracy
Pick the sentence that would most convincingly justify a lighting change and stays strictly within what the notes support.
Include a quick definition of torpor
Because the audience is unfamiliar with torpor, the best option should briefly explain what it is (and why it matters) while discussing the lighting finding.
Look for both the problem and the supported remedy
The strongest synthesis will include (1) the LED effect on torpor/energy use and (2) the note that shielded, warmer-spectrum lighting restored normal patterns.
Step-by-step Explanation
Match the sentence to the purpose and audience
The sentence must persuade a city council to consider lighting changes, and the council is unfamiliar with torpor, so the best option should (1) briefly define torpor, (2) state the key finding about LEDs, and (3) connect the finding to an actionable lighting design change.
Pull the most persuasive note details
Relevant notes to combine are: torpor saves energy at night; strong LED exposure corresponds to torpor rarely being initiated; reduced torpor corresponds to higher overnight energy expenditure; shielded, warmer-spectrum lighting restores normal torpor patterns; and García argues cities can reduce energy stress by adjusting streetlight design.
Eliminate choices with missing or unsupported key information
- The option that explains the LED effect and defines torpor but doesn’t include the supported remedy (shielded, warmer-spectrum lighting) is less persuasive for a policy decision.
- The option that recommends warmer-spectrum lighting but doesn’t explain the LED finding or define torpor doesn’t make as strong a case to a non-expert audience.
- The option that proposes turning off streetlights overnight introduces a remedy not supported by the notes.
Choose the option that is accurate and most persuasive
The best choice defines torpor, reports that LEDs reduce torpor and raise energy use, and adds that shielded, warmer-spectrum lighting restores normal patterns—directly supporting a feasible policy change. Therefore, the correct answer is:
García’s heart-rate data show that LED streetlights often prevent torpor (a low-heart-rate, low-temperature energy-saving state), raising energy use; shielded, warmer-spectrum lighting restores normal torpor.