Question 94·Easy·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Cultural anthropologist Dr. Jae Min Park documented two coastal festivals in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Seabright Lantern Walk features families decorating lanterns and a procession along the pier.
- The Harbor Light Night includes a lantern-lit flotilla and fireworks over the bay.
- Both festivals are organized by local historical societies to celebrate maritime heritage.
- The Seabright Lantern Walk is held in early October.
- The Harbor Light Night takes place in late September.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the Seabright Lantern Walk and the Harbor Light Night. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions with notes, first restate the task in your own words (for example, “I need something that shows how the two are similar”). Then, before looking at the answers, quickly scan the notes for information that matches that task (such as a bullet that mentions both items). When you check the options, immediately eliminate any that (1) only talk about one of the things being compared, (2) focus on differences when the question asks for similarities, or (3) use details that don’t appear in the notes. This keeps you from being distracted by answers that are true but don’t answer the specific question.
Hints
Focus on the goal word
Underline the phrase “emphasize a similarity” in the question. Ask yourself: which choices actually compare the two festivals instead of just describing one?
Use the notes strategically
Scan the notes for any bullet that talks about both festivals together. That kind of note is more likely to contain a similarity than notes that mention only one event.
Watch out for differences
If an answer highlights how the festivals are different (for example, different times or activities), it does not match the goal of emphasizing a similarity.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
The question says the student wants to emphasize a similarity between the Seabright Lantern Walk and the Harbor Light Night. That means the correct choice must describe something that is true of both festivals and shows how they are alike.
Find shared information in the notes
Look through the notes for any point that clearly applies to both festivals, not just one. Most notes mention only one festival (for example, only Seabright’s activities or only Harbor Light Night’s activities or dates). There is one note that begins with the words “Both festivals…”—this is the key similarity.
Compare each answer choice to the task
Now check each option:
- A talks about different dates for each festival (early October vs. late September), which shows a difference, not a similarity.
- B describes activities only at the Seabright Lantern Walk, so it does not compare the two.
- D describes activities only at the Harbor Light Night, so it also does not compare the two.
- Only one option directly states the point from the notes that applies to both festivals and shows what they have in common.
Select the choice that states the similarity
The choice that correctly emphasizes a similarity from the notes is: “Both the Seabright Lantern Walk and the Harbor Light Night are organized by local historical societies to celebrate maritime heritage.” This comes directly from the note starting with “Both festivals…” and clearly shows how they are alike.