Synthesizing Notes
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PSAT Reading & Writing › Synthesizing Notes
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Pilot at Lincoln Middle began 2023; weekly gardening and tasting sessions during science classes.
- Surveys showed 60% more students choosing vegetables at lunch after ten weeks.
- Participants averaged 35 additional minutes of moderate outdoor activity each week.
- Teachers reported improved attention during afternoon classes on gardening days.
- Program funded by small grants and a local grocer's donation of seeds and tools.
- Families attended two harvest nights; community volunteers logged 120 hours maintaining beds. Goal: Emphasize the program's benefits for students' health.
The student wants to emphasize the program's health benefits for students. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Funded by small grants and a local grocer's donations, the garden relied on families attending harvest nights and 120 hours of community volunteer maintenance to keep the beds productive.
Teachers observed improved afternoon attention on gardening days, and weekly sessions were built into science classes beginning in 2023 to connect the activities with classroom learning.
The program supported healthier habits: after ten weeks, 60% more students chose vegetables at lunch, and participants gained about 35 extra minutes of moderate outdoor activity each week.
The program improved student health by cutting sugary drink purchases in half and extending sleep on gardening days, demonstrating clear lifestyle changes beyond the school lunchroom.
Explanation
C cites increased vegetable choice and added physical activity, the health outcomes in the notes. A and B focus on logistics or attention, not health; D claims effects not supported by the notes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Coral reefs support fisheries that feed millions and attract high-spending tourists.
- Climate-driven bleaching events have increased in frequency and severity since 1998.
- Local economies lose billions when reefs degrade, including from storm damage and tourism declines.
- New coral 'gardening' techniques can regrow fragments on artificial structures within two years.
- Success depends on reducing coastal pollution and protecting herbivorous fish populations.
- Some reefs show natural resilience, recovering after heat waves when stressors are limited. Goal: Emphasize the economic consequences of reef decline.
The student wants to emphasize the economic consequences of reef decline. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Reef decline brings immediate economic pain: local economies lose billions from storm damage and tourism declines, and fisheries that feed millions and draw high-spending visitors are jeopardized.
New coral gardening regrows fragments on artificial structures within two years, especially when coastal pollution is reduced and herbivorous fish populations are protected by careful managers in restoration projects.
Bleaching events have become more frequent and severe since 1998, yet some reefs recover after heat waves when other stressors are limited, indicating pockets of natural resilience.
Without reefs, coastal communities save money because beaches widen naturally and storm impacts lessen, offsetting any declines in tourism or fisheries over the long term, studies show.
Explanation
A ties billions in losses and risks to fisheries and tourism, directly addressing economics. B and C describe restoration or ecological trends; D asserts benefits contradicted by the notes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- City fleet includes 180 buses; 60 are pre-2010 diesel models with highest emissions.
- Pre-2010 buses cost more to maintain and suffer frequent breakdowns during peak hours.
- Electric buses reduce local air pollutants substantially and cut greenhouse gas emissions per mile.
- Charging depots planned for two busiest routes by 2026, enabling rapid-turnaround operations.
- Grants cover 70% of purchase cost if replacing vehicles with documented emission noncompliance.
- Riders complain most about delays on routes served primarily by older diesel buses. Goal: Support an argument to prioritize replacing the oldest diesel buses first.
The student wants to emphasize why the oldest diesel buses should be replaced first. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Electric buses would substantially reduce local air pollutants and cut greenhouse gas emissions per mile across the fleet, improving air quality and lowering the system's overall environmental footprint.
By 2026, charging depots on the two busiest routes will enable rapid-turnaround operations, making it practical to deploy new vehicles where demand is highest and schedules are most constrained.
Prioritizing pre-2010 diesels is urgent because their faulty brakes have caused multiple crashes this year, posing immediate safety risks to riders across several routes citywide.
Replacing pre-2010 diesels first targets the highest emitters and the routes with the most breakdown-related delays, and grants cover 70% when swapping out vehicles with documented emission noncompliance.
Explanation
D combines highest emissions, delay complaints, and grant eligibility to justify prioritization. A and B give general benefits or logistics; C cites safety problems not mentioned in the notes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Pilot study observed 24 participants over two weeks; no control group was used.
- Self-reported sleep data were collected via phone app, with 18% of entries missing.
- Caffeine intake varied widely and was not standardized across participants.
- Results suggested a modest association between evening screen time and later sleep onset.
- Researchers plan a randomized controlled trial next year with wearable trackers.
- Funding from a device manufacturer covered app development and participant incentives. Goal: Emphasize the pilot study's methodological limitations that temper its conclusions.
The student wants to emphasize the pilot study's methodological limitations. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Researchers will address these issues next year in a randomized trial using wearable trackers, expanding beyond an app-based approach and likely improving data quality across a larger, more diverse participant group.
The pilot's conclusions are tentative: it lacked a control group, relied on self-reported app data with 18% missing entries, and did not standardize caffeine intake across participants.
In two weeks observing 24 participants, researchers found a modest association between evening screen time and later sleep onset, warranting further investigation in larger samples.
The results are unreliable because the device manufacturer that funded the work directly edited participant data to favor its products, undermining the study's integrity and conclusions.
Explanation
B highlights the absence of a control, missing self-reports, and uncontrolled caffeine, directly addressing limitations. A looks ahead; C restates findings; D asserts misconduct not supported by the notes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Urban heat islands intensify in neighborhoods with sparse tree canopy and abundant dark infrastructure.
- Adding street trees lowers surface temperatures by several degrees and reduces heat-related emergency room visits.
- Native tree species show 30% higher survival in city conditions than nonnative plantings.
- Maintenance partnerships with local residents improve watering consistency and young tree survival rates.
- Tree canopy is disproportionately low in low-income neighborhoods, compounding pollution and heat exposure.
- Planting programs are most cost-effective when targeted to heat-vulnerable blocks identified by temperature mapping.
The student wants to emphasize where tree-planting will yield the greatest health benefits. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Partnering with residents to water young trees improves survival, and planting native species raises survival rates by 30%, making maintenance-focused programs a prudent investment in many neighborhoods.
City conditions challenge trees, so choosing native species that survive better and coordinating consistent watering can stretch limited budgets across more plantings over the long term.
Because low-income areas with low canopy face intense heat and pollution, targeting temperature-mapped hot blocks for new street trees can lower surface temperatures and reduce heat-related emergency room visits.
Affluent neighborhoods, already cooler, should receive most new trees to secure the largest health gains, avoiding hot blocks that offer fewer benefits, according to city planners.
Explanation
Choice C directly targets low-canopy, heat-vulnerable neighborhoods and cites reduced temperatures and ER visits. A and B focus on maintenance and survival, not health-benefit targeting; D contradicts the notes by prioritizing already cooler, affluent areas.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Transportation produces a substantial share of city emissions; diesel buses are major contributors on busy corridors.
- Electric buses have zero tailpipe emissions and reduce noise for riders and along streets.
- High-ridership routes concentrate diesel exhaust where many residents and pedestrians are exposed daily.
- Upfront purchase costs are higher, but lifetime costs drop with lower fuel and maintenance expenses.
- Cold weather can cut battery range, requiring mid-day charging or adjusted schedules on longer lines.
- Depot chargers and electrical grid upgrades must be installed before expanding a fleet significantly.
The student wants to introduce the best strategy for maximizing air-quality gains from an initial purchase of electric buses. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Although upfront purchase costs are higher, lifetime costs fall due to lower fuel and maintenance, making initial electric bus investments financially manageable for cities over time.
Electrifying high-ridership corridors, where diesel exhaust currently exposes many residents, will yield the greatest air-quality gains because replacing those buses with zero tailpipe emission models immediately reduces pollution where exposure is concentrated.
Before expanding, cities must install depot chargers and upgrade electrical grids, while planning for mid-day charging or adjusted schedules on longer lines during cold weather.
Starting with lightly used suburban routes avoids mid-day charging and scheduling complications, delivering the largest near-term air-quality improvements and reducing pollution where fewer people are present.
Explanation
Choice B uses notes about concentrated exposure on high-ridership routes and zero tailpipe emissions to maximize gains. A and C are logistical or financial, not strategic for air quality; D contradicts the notes by prioritizing lightly used routes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Urban tree canopy can lower nearby surface temperatures by up to nine degrees Fahrenheit during heat waves.
- Historically redlined neighborhoods typically have far less tree cover than wealthier, non-redlined areas.
- Municipal tree-planting programs can reduce household cooling energy bills by 10 to 15 percent.
- Sapling survival rates improve when residents water and monitor young trees during the first two summers.
- Maintenance costs include pruning, pest management, and sidewalk repairs from roots over a tree's lifespan.
- Planting drought-tolerant, heat-resilient species helps trees thrive in warming urban climates.
Goal: Emphasize how expanding the urban tree canopy can reduce inequitable heat burdens in redlined areas.
The student wants to emphasize how expanding the urban tree canopy can reduce inequitable heat burdens in redlined areas. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Although tree programs create maintenance expenses like pruning and root-related sidewalk repairs, selecting drought-tolerant species and monitoring pests can help cities manage long-term costs more effectively over time.
Because historically redlined neighborhoods have far less tree cover, targeting plantings there can lower nearby surface temperatures and reduce household cooling bills by 10 to 15 percent, easing inequitable heat burdens.
Sapling survival rates improve when residents water and monitor young trees during the first two summers; community engagement is therefore essential to successful urban forestry.
Because affluent neighborhoods usually lack tree cover, concentrating new trees there would most effectively reduce extreme heat exposure and improve energy affordability citywide, according to recent assessments.
Explanation
B directly links lower canopy in redlined areas to temperature and energy-bill reductions, addressing inequitable heat burdens. A and C discuss costs or survival rather than equity, and D contradicts the notes by claiming affluent areas usually lack tree cover.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Blue light from phones and tablets suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep onset and reducing sleep quality.
- Adolescents' circadian systems are especially sensitive to evening light compared with adults' responses.
- Exposure within the hour before bedtime has the strongest effect on melatonin suppression.
- Blue-light filter apps slightly reduce melatonin suppression but do not fully prevent sleep disruption.
- Switching to non-backlit reading, like print books under warm, dim light, supports faster sleep.
- Limiting screen use at least an hour before bed improves sleep duration and morning alertness.
Goal: Emphasize that avoiding screens before bedtime is more effective than relying on blue-light filters.
The student wants to emphasize that avoiding screens before bedtime is more effective than relying on blue-light filters. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Adolescents' circadian systems are especially sensitive to evening light, and blue light from phones suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep onset and reducing sleep quality, particularly before bedtime.
Switching to non-backlit reading, like print books under warm, dim light, supports faster sleep and offers a practical alternative to evening phone use for many adolescents.
Because blue-light filter apps have no effect on melatonin suppression, the only effective strategy is avoiding screens entirely during the hour before bedtime to protect sleep.
Limiting screen use at least an hour before bed improves sleep duration and alertness; blue-light filters only slightly reduce melatonin suppression, so avoiding screens is a more effective approach.
Explanation
D contrasts limited filter effects with the stronger benefit of avoiding screens an hour before bed. A and B are true but do not compare filters to avoidance, and C is inaccurate because filters slightly reduce suppression.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- A 2019 study: every $1 spent on urban trees returns $2-$5 in benefits over time.
- Shade from street trees cuts summer electricity demand for cooling by up to 10 percent.
- Mature trees intercept stormwater, reducing runoff treatment costs for municipalities.
- Annual maintenance averages $35 per tree; removal costs higher only for diseased, neglected trees.
- Residents report improved mental health and neighborhood cohesion near well-maintained green streets.
- Species diversity reduces pest risk but increases planning complexity for city foresters.
Goal: Emphasize the long-term economic benefits of urban tree planting. The student wants to emphasize this aspect. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Neighborhoods with well-maintained green streets report improved mental health and cohesion, and species-diverse plantings reduce pest risks even as they complicate planning decisions for city foresters.
By lowering summer electricity demand for cooling by up to 10 percent and reducing costly stormwater treatment through rain interception, urban trees deliver returns estimated at $2-$5 for every $1 invested.
Species diversity reduces pest risk but increases planning complexity for city foresters, while well-maintained green streets are linked to improved mental health and neighborhood cohesion.
Because annual maintenance averages $35 per tree, long-term maintenance costs typically exceed the financial returns cities receive from shade savings and stormwater benefits, making large-scale planting fiscally impractical.
Explanation
Choice B links energy savings and stormwater interception to documented returns, directly emphasizing economic benefits. A and C are off-goal, and D contradicts the notes by claiming maintenance outweighs savings.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Excavation at Mesa River site revealed petroglyphs and a circular ceremonial plaza.
- Tribal elders requested that new pathways avoid sightlines between plaza and eastern horizon.
- Project team replaced planned concrete walkways with compacted decomposed granite sourced locally.
- Interpretive signs co-created with community include both Indigenous language and English translations.
- Volunteer crews stabilized eroding slopes with native grasses to reduce runoff during monsoon storms.
- Visitor numbers increased 15 percent after reopening, with extended hours on solstice dates.
Goal: Emphasize that Indigenous consultation shaped the project's design. The student wants to emphasize this aspect. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
To reduce runoff during monsoon storms, volunteer crews stabilized eroding slopes with native grasses, and the project replaced planned concrete walkways with locally sourced decomposed granite for improved site durability.
After reopening, visitor numbers rose 15 percent and hours were extended on solstice dates to accommodate public interest in the site's seasonal significance and cultural programming.
Excavations revealed petroglyphs and a circular ceremonial plaza, key discoveries that deepen understanding of the site's past uses and spiritual importance to descendant communities and regional history.
Tribal elders asked that pathways avoid sightlines between the plaza and the eastern horizon, and the team co-created bilingual interpretive signs, reflecting Indigenous guidance in both layout and public information.
Explanation
Choice D shows elders' sightline request and bilingual signage, directly demonstrating consultation shaping design. A, B, and C focus on erosion control, visitation, or discoveries, not on consultation guiding project decisions.