SAT Rhetorical Synthesis Practice — Drill 1

The student wants to explain why scientists are interested in studying the resurrection plant. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Scientists are studying the resurrection plant's genetic mechanisms for possible applications in developing drought-resistant crops.
2. B The resurrection plant can survive complete dehydration, appearing brown and apparently dead for months.
3. C Researchers have found the plant can repeat its dehydration-rehydration cycle dozens of times.
4. D When exposed to even a small amount of water, the resurrection plant can fully rehydrate within hours.

The student wants to explain one practical effect refrigerators had on household routines. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Before refrigerators, households relied on iceboxes, which required regular deliveries of ice.
2. B The modern refrigerator became widely available to households beginning in the 1920s.
3. C Refrigerators are now a standard appliance found in nearly every household.
4. D By allowing perishable food to be stored safely for longer periods, refrigerators reduced the need for households to make daily grocery trips.

The student wants to highlight the specific finding that supports the conclusion about learned behavior. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Chimpanzees have been observed selecting and modifying sticks to fish termites out of mounds.
2. B Young chimpanzees who observed more adult demonstrations before their first attempt succeeded at fishing termites significantly faster than those who observed fewer demonstrations.
3. C Researchers have studied chimpanzee behavior in both wild and field settings.
4. D Chimpanzees are widely regarded as one of the most intelligent primate species.

The student wants to describe which group of students benefited most from the breakfast program. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A The largest test score improvement occurred among students who had previously qualified for reduced-price, but not free, lunch.
2. B The program did not include any changes to the school's math curriculum.
3. C Standardized test scores in math rose modestly across the district within two years of the program's start.
4. D A school district introduced a universal free breakfast program in all its elementary schools in 2019.

The student wants to highlight the most surprising result of the field study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Elephants are widely regarded as one of the most intelligent land animals.
2. B Researchers observed a wild herd returning to the same covered water source days later and successfully uncovering it, a behavior previously recorded only in captivity.
3. C Researchers have studied elephant behavior in both wild and captive settings.
4. D Elephants have been observed using their trunks to cover water sources with bark or mud.

The student wants to explain what inspired Handler to create the Barbie doll. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Ruth Handler is known for co-founding Mattel and creating the Barbie doll.
2. B Most dolls marketed to children at the time resembled infants rather than adults.
3. C The Barbie doll launched in 1959 and became one of the best-selling toys in history.
4. D After watching her daughter play with adult-bodied paper dolls, Handler concluded that children wanted toys allowing them to imagine future adult roles, unlike the infant-shaped dolls then on the market.

The student wants to explain how the baobab tree survives extended droughts. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Individual baobab trees are estimated to live over 2,000 years.
2. B Local communities have historically used hollow baobab trunks as shelters and storage spaces.
3. C Baobab trunks grow hollow with age in many individual trees.
4. D The baobab tree can store thousands of liters of water in its swollen trunk during the rainy season, allowing it to survive extended droughts.

The student wants to explain how the mudskipper is able to survive out of water. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A The mudskipper survives out of water in part by breathing through its skin, which must remain moist to absorb oxygen.
2. B Mudskippers retreat to burrows in the mud during high tide to avoid predators.
3. C The mudskipper is a fish that can survive out of water for extended periods.
4. D The mudskipper uses its strong pectoral fins to walk across mudflats and climb onto mangrove roots.

The student wants to contrast an older view of code-switching with current research. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Code-switching is the practice of alternating between two or more languages within a single conversation.
2. B Although once viewed as a sign of incomplete language mastery, code-switching is now understood by researchers to be systematic and rule-governed, reflecting linguistic skill.
3. C Fluent bilingual speakers often alternate between languages during a single conversation.
4. D Researchers have studied code-switching extensively over the past several decades.

The student wants to summarize a surprising finding of the pilot program. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. A Employees in the pilot program worked 32 hours instead of 40, with no reduction in pay.
2. B Workplace policies have been debated by economists and business leaders for decades.
3. C Although employees worked fewer hours for the same pay, company revenue remained roughly stable while reported burnout decreased significantly.
4. D A four-day work week pilot program was tested at several companies in a mid-sized country.