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, restate the goal in your own words, then choose (or build) the comparison that best matches that goal. Here, because the limits differ by group, convert each group’s average intake into a percent of its own recommended limit and pick the option that states that percent-based contrast clearly and accurately.
Hints
Focus on the task, not just the data
Underline the goal in the question. What comparison does the student want to highlight?
Turn the notes into a fair comparison
Because the recommended limits are different for teens and adults, compare each group’s average as a fraction/percent of its own limit.
Check that the conclusion matches the numbers
If a choice includes percentages, verify they were computed using the correct limit for that group and that the interpretation of “closer to the limit” is consistent.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the writing goal
The student’s goal is to emphasize that teens in the United States are closer to their recommended caffeine limit than adults are.
So the best sentence should compare each group’s average intake relative to its own limit.
Compare each average to its recommended limit
From the notes:
- Teens: (about of the recommended limit)
- Adults: (about of the recommended limit)
Because is closer to the limit than , teens are closer to their recommended limit.
Choose the option that states this contrast
The choice that explicitly presents this proportional contrast is:
Survey results indicate that U.S. teens consume about 90 mg of caffeine per day (roughly 90% of the 100-mg limit), while adults consume 240 mg (about 60% of the 400-mg limit).