Question 96·Hard·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- A 2019 ecological study examined nighttime flight paths of 17 migratory songbird species.
- Migratory songbirds navigate by reading the stars.
- Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disorient these birds, leading to building and street-light collisions.
- In brightly lit urban areas, the researchers documented a 42% increase in bird collisions.
- The researchers propose that directing streetlights downward with shielded fixtures would lessen disorientation and reduce collision rates.
The student is preparing a brief statement for a city council meeting on a proposed street-lighting ordinance. The council members are not bird experts but want data-driven reasons to support policy action. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, first read the task sentence very carefully and underline the audience and purpose (for example, “city council,” “data-driven reasons,” “support a policy”). Then scan the notes and decide which 1–2 points best match that purpose (often a key statistic plus a recommendation). Finally, pick the answer that uses exactly those relevant points clearly and efficiently—avoid choices that are too vague (no data), too detailed (extra science the audience doesn’t need), or that fail to connect evidence to the stated goal (such as leaving out the policy action).
Hints
Focus on the purpose
The student is speaking to a city council about a street-lighting ordinance. Ask yourself: what kind of information would most help council members decide how to vote on a lighting policy?
Look for data plus action
The prompt mentions that the council wants data-driven reasons to support policy action. Which notes include a specific numerical result and which notes mention a concrete change to how streetlights are used?
Evaluate how each option uses the notes
Check each answer and see whether it:
- Uses specific evidence from the study (not just a general statement), and
- Clearly connects that evidence to what the city could do about streetlights.
Eliminate any choice that only gives background or leaves out either the evidence or the policy connection.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task and audience
The question asks for a brief statement for a city council about a street-lighting ordinance. The council members:
- Are not bird experts, so the statement should avoid unnecessary technical detail.
- Want data-driven reasons to support policy action, so they need concrete evidence and a clear connection to what the city should do.
So the best answer will:
- Use specific study data, and
- Point to a specific lighting policy the council can adopt.
Identify the most relevant notes
Look back at the notes and ask: which ones help persuade a city council to change street-lighting policy?
From the notes, the most relevant information is:
- There is a measured effect: in brightly lit urban areas there was a 42% increase in bird collisions (strong, data-based evidence).
- There is a specific recommendation: the researchers suggest directing streetlights downward with shielded fixtures to reduce disorientation and collisions.
Background notes (like how birds navigate or that artificial light can disorient them) are helpful context, but the question emphasizes data-driven reasons and policy action, so the statistic and the proposed solution are the most important pieces.
Check what each answer actually does
Now compare each answer choice to the task:
- Some choices only give background (for example, how birds navigate or that artificial light can disorient them) without any numbers or policy recommendation.
- Some choices might include a statistic but no clear action the city should take.
- The strongest choice will combine specific evidence from the study with the exact lighting change the researchers say would reduce collisions.
Keep in mind: the council wants a reason to support the ordinance, so they need to hear both how big the problem is and what concrete step the ordinance should take.
Select the choice that best matches the purpose
The only answer that both (1) cites the 42% increase in collisions in the brightest urban areas and (2) clearly states the researchers’ recommendation to shield streetlights downward to reduce accidents is Choice C:
C) The study recorded a 42% increase in songbird collisions in the brightest urban areas and recommends shielding streetlights downward to reduce the accidents.
This directly uses relevant information from the notes to give the city council a data-based justification and a specific policy action, which is exactly what the question asks for.