Question 67·Easy·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
-
In 2010, engineer Lina Patel designed a low-cost water filter.
It used locally available materials.
It reduced contaminants in rural wells. -
In 2018, engineer Marco Diaz designed a modular water filter.
It could be repaired easily.
It reduced contaminants in storm-affected areas.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between Patel’s filter and Diaz’s filter. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions that ask you to emphasize a similarity or difference, first underline the task word (like “similarity,” “difference,” “advantage,” or “disadvantage”). Then, scan the notes and make a quick mental pairing of details for each subject; identify what is shared (for similarity) or what contrasts (for difference). Finally, choose the answer that (1) mentions both subjects, (2) directly reflects the correct relationship (same vs. different), and (3) avoids extra details that are not related to the stated goal.
Hints
Focus on what the question is asking you to do
The prompt asks you to emphasize a similarity between Patel’s filter and Diaz’s filter. What kind of information would show that they are alike?
Use the notes to find common ground
Make a quick mental list of Patel’s filter features and Diaz’s filter features. Is there anything that appears in both lists?
Check that the option really compares both
Eliminate any answer choice that talks about only Patel or only Diaz, or that mainly highlights how they are different rather than how they are similar.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task word: "similarity"
The prompt says the student wants to emphasize a similarity between Patel’s filter and Diaz’s filter.
That means the correct sentence must:
- Talk about both Patel and Diaz, and
- Describe something they both share, not something that is unique to just one or that contrasts them.
List the key details for each filter
From the notes, separate what you know about each engineer’s filter:
Patel’s filter (2010):
- Low-cost
- Used locally available materials
- Reduced contaminants in rural wells
Diaz’s filter (2018):
- Modular
- Could be repaired easily
- Reduced contaminants in storm-affected areas
Find what is truly shared
Now look for overlap between the two lists.
- Cost: only mentioned for Patel.
- Materials: only mentioned for Patel.
- Modular / repairable: only mentioned for Diaz.
- Years (2010 vs 2018): these are different, not the same.
- Function: both say their filters reduced contaminants (in different types of water supplies, but the same basic function).
So the main similarity is that both water filters reduced contaminants in water supplies.
Match the similarity to the answer choices
Choose the option that:
- Mentions both Patel’s and Diaz’s filters, and
- Focuses on their shared function of reducing contaminants, not on details about only one or on differences like the year.
The only choice that does this is: “Patel’s and Diaz’s water filters both reduced contaminants in water supplies.”