Question 27·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Expression of Ideas
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Telemedicine uses digital technology to deliver health care remotely.
- It can reduce travel time and increase access for rural patients.
- However, telemedicine requires reliable broadband internet, which is not always available in rural areas.
- In-person visits allow physicians to perform comprehensive physical examinations.
- In-person care may involve long wait times and transportation costs for patients.
- Some conditions can be adequately diagnosed via video, while others need hands-on assessment.
The student wants to write a sentence that acknowledges limitations of both telemedicine and traditional in-person care. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis, underline the exact goal (here, “limitations of both…”), then pull the matching note phrases for each side (telemedicine vs. in-person). Choose the option that includes both required limitations and reject choices that (a) mention only benefits for one side or (b) add details not stated in the notes.
Hints
Focus on the goal
The sentence must include one telemedicine drawback and one in-person drawback—both supported by the notes.
Find the downsides in the notes
Look for note bullets that signal problems (for example, words like however or phrases describing what something requires or may involve).
Watch for unsupported add-ons
Eliminate any choice that introduces a detail not stated in the notes (even if it sounds reasonable).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the sentence must do
The student needs one sentence that acknowledges limitations of both:
- telemedicine, and
- traditional in-person care.
Pull the relevant limitations from the notes
From the notes:
- Telemedicine limitation: it requires reliable broadband internet, which is not always available in rural areas.
- In-person limitation: it may involve long wait times and transportation costs for patients.
Eliminate choices that miss a requirement or add new information
Check each option against the notes:
- One option adds an unsupported idea that telemedicine “may still require travel” when broadband isn’t available.
- One option gives a telemedicine limitation but pairs it with an in-person benefit (comprehensive exams), not an in-person limitation.
- One option overstates the notes by claiming telemedicine “cannot be used” for hands-on conditions (the notes only say some conditions need hands-on assessment).
Select the option that states both limitations accurately
The correct answer is:
“Telemedicine can reduce travel time for rural patients but depends on reliable broadband, and in-person visits can involve long waits and transportation costs.”