Rhetorical Synthesis questions occur at the very end of the SAT Reading/Writing section. Last in sequence, they are (in our view) the lowest in difficulty; the question stem, if read carefully, will often provide the answer even if you haven’t read the information in bullet points. We will see examples of Rhetorical Synthesis questions below, exploring their format and content, and fleshing out this basic strategy of “read the question.”
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
- It was built in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
- Construction began in 1632 and was completed around 1648.
- The mausoleum is made of white marble with intricate inlay work.
- Today, it is considered one of the wonders of the modern world.
The student wants to highlight why the Taj Mahal was built. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
A. The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
B. The Taj Mahal is made of white marble with intricate inlay work.
C. The Taj Mahal was completed around 1648.
D. The Taj Mahal is considered one of the wonders of the modern world.
The core strategy for Rhetorical Synthesis questions is, “Carefully read the question stem.” We are tempted to add the word “only” between “read” and “the”, because you rarely need anything else! Therefore, in this lesson, we will frequently illustrate how the question can be answered based on the question stem alone, without reference to the bullet points.
Notice that all four answer choices say something about the Taj Mahal, and each of these details reflects something the student learned, summarized in the bulletin points above. But as the question makes clear, the question is why. Why was it built? If you go into the answer choices with that question burned into your mind, there can be only one answer: only the answer about Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife can provide an answer to why. The answer is A.
It really is that simple! If you have any doubt about your answer, you can go back and read the bullet points. The first two bullet points confirm the information in the correct answer, but this is kind of redundant; we already knew only answer A could answer a “why” question. The other answers give other specifics about the Taj Mahal, but none of them answer why.
CAREFULLY READ THE QUESTION STEM.
We put this strategy in all caps because it is the key to everything with Rhetorical Synthesis. You will find that, if you follow this step, you will either rarely or never have to look back at the bullet points for confirmation. That’s a powerful strategy!
Be aware that answer choices can sometimes combine two of the facts in the bullet points. This happens more often on hard questions.
Nothing to note for this question type.
Answer this: What does the letter Q in the QUICKER method stand for?
Read the QUESTION first. An appropriate step to review for this question type!
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
- It covers about 3.6 million square miles.
- Temperatures can rise above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The student wants to emphasize the extreme heat of the Sahara. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
A. The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
B. The Sahara covers about 3.6 million square miles.
C. Temperatures in the Sahara can rise above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
D. The Sahara Desert is located in Africa.
The answer is C. Carefully read the question stem. The student wants to “emphasize the extreme heat.” This can’t be accomplished by simply calling the Sahara the “largest hot desert.” We need more than that if emphasis is happening. The temperatures above 120 degrees represent the detail we need.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Great Fire of London occurred in 1666.
- It destroyed more than 13,000 houses and nearly 90 churches.
- Architect Christopher Wren was tasked with rebuilding much of the city.
- Wren designed St. Paul’s Cathedral, completed in 1710.
- His designs reflected both Renaissance and Baroque styles.
The student wants to emphasize a specific contribution Wren made to London after the fire. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
A. Christopher Wren designed St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was completed in 1710.
B. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed over 13,000 houses and 90 churches.
C. Christopher Wren’s designs reflected Renaissance and Baroque styles.
D. London was rebuilt following the Great Fire of 1666.
The answer is A. The keyword in the question is “specific”. We are not permitted to choose an answer like C, which speaks generally about the styles exhibited by Wren’s work. We have to get specific and go with the answer that mentions St. Paul’s Cathedral. And the other two answer choices don’t mention Wren at all, so those can’t be right!
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Panama Canal was completed in 1914.
- It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, giving shipping traffic a much shorter path.
- Building the canal required moving millions of cubic yards of earth.
- Thousands of workers faced dangerous conditions, including disease.
- The canal dramatically shortened travel time for ships.
The student wants to emphasize the importance of the Panama Canal for global trade. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
A. Thousands of workers faced disease while digging the Panama Canal.
B. Millions of cubic yards of earth were removed to build the Panama Canal.
C. Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, greatly reducing travel time for ships.
D. The Panama Canal project was completed in 1914.
The answer is C. Because the question wants us to focus on the canal’s importance for global trade, we can eliminate answers that don’t give us relevant information. We don’t care how many workers faced disease while working on the canal (well, we care in general, but not for this question!), nor how many millions of cubic yards of earth were removed. The date of completion doesn’t help us. The longest answer, with the most detail, is correct because it points to the decreased travel time for ships. Although the choice doesn’t directly mention global trade, it certainly points to the idea by speaking of reduced travel time. This would no doubt help in trading!
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Ada Lovelace collaborated with mathematician Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine.
- In 1843, she published notes describing how the machine could be programmed to calculate more than numbers.
- Her notes included the first published algorithm intended for a machine.
- Some scholars argue she anticipated modern computer science concepts.
- Others contend her role has been exaggerated compared to Babbage’s.
The student wants to describe the debate about Lovelace’s legacy. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
A. Ada Lovelace collaborated with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine in the 1800s.
B. Her 1843 notes included the first published algorithm intended for a machine.
C. Lovelace’s writings describe how machines could be programmed to calculate more than numbers.
D. While some argue that Lovelace anticipated computer science concepts, others believe her role has been overstated.
The answer is D. The question mentions a “debate”; this means that we have to find an answer with differing points of view. Only the answer with “some” thinking one way and “others” thinking a different way can work.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Terracotta Army was discovered in Xi’an, China, in 1974.
- The life-sized clay soldiers were buried to guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
- Each figure has unique facial features and details.
- Archaeologists estimate that over 8,000 soldiers were created.
- The site is considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.
The student wants to emphasize the scale and individuality of the Terracotta Army. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes?
A. The Terracotta Army was discovered in Xi’an, China, in 1974.
B. The army was created to guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang with life-sized figures.
C. With over 8,000 soldiers, each with unique features, the Terracotta Army is a massive and detailed archaeological discovery.
D. The Terracotta Army is considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.
The answer is C. The question wants us to focus on “scale and individuality”–in other words, how big the Terracotta Army is and how unique it. One wrong answer mentions “life-sized figures,” but that’s only a reference to the soldiers themselves. We need to choose the answer that tells us how many soldiers the army has (8,000) and that each has “unique features.” As always, carefully reading the question pays off!
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