Question 86·Medium·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Coast redwoods can grow taller than 350 feet.
- Coast redwoods thrive in the cool, foggy coastal regions of California.
- Coast redwoods can live for roughly 2,000 years.
- Bristlecone pines usually stay under 60 feet tall.
- Bristlecone pines grow on dry, high-elevation mountain slopes in the western United States.
- Bristlecone pines can live for more than 5,000 years, making them some of the oldest living organisms on Earth.
The student wants to highlight how the two tree species differ in both height and longevity. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For note-synthesis questions, first restate the task in your own words (for example: “compare height and age”). Then quickly mark which notes relate to each part of that task. Next, scan the answer choices and eliminate any that (1) ignore one of the required aspects, (2) introduce irrelevant details, or (3) stay so general they don’t actually use the key information from the notes. Choose the option that directly and efficiently uses the relevant notes to accomplish the stated purpose (compare, explain, show cause, etc.).
Hints
Focus on the goal in the question
Underline the words in the prompt that tell you what the sentence must do. What two characteristics of the trees must both be mentioned?
Use the notes strategically
Look back at the notes and label which bullets are about height and which are about how long the trees live. The correct choice should draw from both sets.
Eliminate partial or off-topic choices
Cross out any answer that only talks about one characteristic (such as height or habitat) or stays too general without clearly stating the differences you identified in the notes.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
The question says the student wants to highlight how the two tree species differ in both height and longevity. So the right sentence must:
- Compare coast redwoods and bristlecone pines
- Include a contrast in height
- Include a contrast in age/longevity
Sort the notes by topic
From the notes, identify which points are about height and which are about age:
- Height:
- Coast redwoods can grow taller than 350 feet.
- Bristlecone pines usually stay under 60 feet tall.
- Longevity (age):
- Coast redwoods can live for roughly 2,000 years.
- Bristlecone pines can live for more than 5,000 years, making them some of the oldest living organisms on Earth. The correct choice should use information from both of these groups.
Evaluate each answer choice against the goal
Check each option and ask: does it clearly contrast both height and longevity?
- One choice talks generally about both trees having impressive records but doesn’t specify height or age.
- One choice talks only about their height difference.
- One choice talks only about their habitat (where and how they grow).
- Only one choice clearly contrasts how tall the trees are and how long they live.
Choose the sentence that contrasts both height and longevity
The only option that directly contrasts both the trees’ height and their lifespan is:
“Although coast redwoods tower over bristlecone pines in height, bristlecone pines far surpass redwoods in age.”
This matches the notes (redwoods much taller, bristlecones much older) and fulfills the goal of highlighting differences in both height and longevity.