Question 78·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that teens limit their daily caffeine intake to 100 milligrams.
- A recent nationwide survey reported an average daily caffeine consumption of 240 milligrams for U.S. adults.
- The same survey reported an average daily caffeine consumption of 90 milligrams for U.S. teens.
The student wants to emphasize how much more closely teens in the United States approach their recommended caffeine limit than adults do. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions like this, start by underlining the exact goal stated in the question (for example, “emphasize how much more closely teens approach their limit than adults do”). Then quickly process the notes to create the most relevant comparison yourself (often by turning raw numbers into percentages or ratios). Finally, scan the answer choices for the one that clearly and directly expresses that comparison in words—prioritizing clarity and focus on the requested idea over choices that merely restate data or add extra, unfocused information.
Hints
Focus on the task, not just the data
Underline the part of the question that states the goal. What specifically does the student want to emphasize about teens compared to adults?
Use the numbers to compare closeness to limits
You’re given both the recommended limits and the actual amounts for adults and teens. Try turning each group’s intake into a fraction or percentage of its limit.
Scan for explicit comparison, not just facts
Look for a choice that doesn’t just list numbers, but clearly compares how close each group comes to its limit and highlights that difference in words or ratios.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing goal
The question says the student wants to emphasize how much more closely teens in the United States approach their recommended caffeine limit than adults do.
So the best answer must:
- Use information about both the limits and the actual intakes.
- Compare teens and adults in terms of how close they are to their limits, not just list numbers.
Calculate how close each group is to its limit
Use the notes:
- Adults: recommended 400 mg, actual 240 mg.
- Teens: recommended 100 mg, actual 90 mg.
Turn these into fractions or percentages of the limit:
- Adults: , which is 60% of their limit.
- Teens: , which is 90% of their limit.
So teens are much closer to their ceiling (90%) than adults are to theirs (60%). The best answer choice should clearly express this contrast.
Match the calculations to the answer choices
Now check which choice explicitly highlights that teens are closer to their limit than adults:
- Choices A, B, and C mainly list numbers or state that both groups are under their limits, but they do not clearly explain that teens are much closer to their limit.
- One choice directly states that both groups are under their limits and compares how close they are by giving the approximate percentages (about 90% for teens and 60% for adults), making the contrast explicit.
Therefore, the best choice is:
D) Although both adults and teens in the United States consume less caffeine than recommended, teens come far closer to their limit: they average about 90% of their 100-mg ceiling, whereas adults average only 60% of their 400-mg ceiling.