Use of Evidence > Synthesizing Notes
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SAT Reading & Writing › Use of Evidence > Synthesizing Notes
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Early grant applications were rejected three times, and initial experiments failed to produce consistent results.
- She refined her methods over two years, keeping meticulous lab notebooks and repeating trials patiently.
- A senior mentor encouraged revisions and introduced her to collaborators from a neighboring department.
- After publishing robust data, she presented at a regional conference and earned a young investigator prize.
- Early skepticism in the field faded as other labs replicated her findings over the following year.
- The project ultimately informed revised clinical guidelines adopted by a national professional society.
The student wants to emphasize perseverance after early failures. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Despite three grant rejections and inconsistent early results, she persisted, refining methods for two years and documenting trials before publishing robust data that earned conference recognition and helped shift skeptical peers toward acceptance.
The project ultimately informed revised clinical guidelines adopted by a national society after other labs replicated her findings and she presented results at a regional conference highlighting implications for practice.
A senior mentor encouraged revisions and introduced collaborators from a neighboring department, broadening the project's expertise and enabling access to specialized equipment that strengthened the study's design and subsequent publication.
After five grant rejections and four years of repeating trials, she finally produced consistent results that persuaded skeptical peers and led to an award, demonstrating determination in the face of persistent obstacles.
Explanation
Choice A directly ties documented setbacks to sustained effort and later success. B and C highlight impact and mentorship rather than perseverance; D emphasizes perseverance but misstates the number of rejections and the timeline.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Many urban neighborhoods designated food deserts lack nearby stores selling affordable fresh produce.
- Community gardens in these areas supply seasonal fruits and vegetables directly to local residents.
- Most gardens are maintained by volunteers and supported by modest city grants or donations.
- Garden coordinators host free workshops on composting, soil care, and basic cooking with harvests.
- Small plots with diverse plants attract pollinators and increase neighborhood biodiversity.
- Some gardeners donate surplus produce to local food pantries and mutual aid groups. Goal: Emphasize how community gardens address food insecurity in underserved neighborhoods.
The student wants to emphasize how community gardens address food insecurity in underserved neighborhoods. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
By planting diverse crops that attract pollinators, community gardens increase neighborhood biodiversity and create green spaces for residents to gather, strengthening social ties through shared maintenance and seasonal activities.
In food deserts, community gardens supply seasonal fruits and vegetables directly to residents and even donate surplus to local pantries, reducing shortages while modest city grants help sustain these efforts.
Volunteer-run programs offer free workshops on composting, soil care, and basic cooking with harvests, giving neighbors chances to learn practical skills and connect through regular meetings and cooperative maintenance.
Backed primarily by major corporate sponsors, these gardens distribute large quantities of free produce citywide, ensuring consistent supplies for all neighborhoods and effectively eliminating local food insecurity.
Explanation
B targets food insecurity by citing food deserts, direct produce access, surplus donations, and sustaining grants. A and C are true but off-goal; D would fit the goal but contradicts the notes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- City's summers now average five more days above 95 degrees than in 1990.
- Tree canopy currently covers 18 percent of streets, concentrated in wealthier neighborhoods.
- Pilot planting 2,000 trees lowered afternoon sidewalk temperatures by 4 degrees last July.
- Residents reported more evening walkers and higher shop visits near shaded blocks.
- Maintenance costs projected at $150,000 annually, funded through corporate sponsorships and grants.
- Health department estimates reduced heat-related emergency calls by 11 percent in pilot areas. Goal: Emphasize the program's impact on lowering urban heat.
The student wants to emphasize the program's heat-reduction impact. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
With tree canopy covering only 18 percent of streets and funding secured through corporate sponsorships and grants, the program targets underserved areas and ensures ongoing maintenance.
During last July's pilot, planting 2,000 trees lowered afternoon sidewalk temperatures by 4 degrees, and health officials recorded an 11 percent drop in heat-related emergency calls in those shaded areas.
Residents reported more evening walkers and increased shop visits near shaded blocks, suggesting economic and social benefits around the newly planted corridors for nearby businesses and families.
As the city experiences five more days above 95 degrees than in 1990, expanding canopy to underserved neighborhoods addresses environmental equity concerns and directs resources where shade is scarce.
Explanation
B directly highlights temperature reductions and fewer heat-related emergencies. The other choices focus on funding, equity, or economic activity rather than the program's heat-reduction outcomes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- City expanded community garden plots from 50 to 200 between 2015 and 2024.
- Participants report reduced grocery costs and increased access to fresh vegetables.
- Volunteers logged 6,000 hours maintaining beds, composting, and running workshops last year.
- The city provided grants for soil testing, rain barrels, and native plant seeds.
- Surveys show stronger neighbor connections and more use of nearby parks. Goal: Emphasize cost savings for residents.
The student wants to emphasize cost savings for residents. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Volunteers logged 6,000 hours maintaining beds, composting, and running workshops, building skills and stewardship that increased park usage and neighbor connections across participating neighborhoods last year significantly.
With plots expanding from 50 to 200 and participants reporting reduced grocery costs, the program helps more households cut food bills while city grants for supplies keep start-up expenses low.
Grants for soil testing, rain barrels, and native seeds improved garden infrastructure and environmental sustainability, supporting workshops that taught composting and best practices to the expanding network of plots.
Surveys show stronger neighbor connections and more use of nearby parks as gardeners collaborate, attend workshops, and maintain beds, strengthening community ties throughout the city's expanding garden program.
Explanation
Choice B ties reduced grocery costs to expansion and grants that lower expenses. The other choices cite true notes about community engagement, infrastructure, or parks but do not directly address residents' cost savings.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Reading 20 minutes daily correlates with larger vocabularies in middle school students across districts.
- Audiobooks offer access for commuters and students with visual impairments or dyslexia.
- Fiction that explores diverse perspectives can increase empathy and reduce implicit bias.
- Schools with dedicated library time see higher independent reading rates and better comprehension scores.
- Social media notifications can interrupt reading flow, reducing concentration and enjoyment.
Goal: Introduce the idea that daily reading supports both academic and social development.
The student wants to introduce the idea that daily reading supports both academic and social development. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Schools with dedicated library time see higher independent reading and better comprehension, and audiobooks expand access for commuters and students with visual impairments, emphasizing infrastructure and accessibility rather than daily reading's broad academic and social benefits.
Social media notifications interrupt reading flow and reduce enjoyment, and commuters increasingly rely on audiobooks, observations that concern distractions and access but not the developmental payoffs of maintaining a daily reading habit.
Fiction can increase empathy and reduce implicit bias, an important social outcome, but the notes do not indicate that fiction alone directly strengthens academic performance like vocabulary growth or comprehension across student populations.
Reading 20 minutes daily correlates with larger vocabularies across middle school districts, and fiction exploring diverse perspectives increases empathy, together showing that consistent reading supports both academic growth and social development.
Explanation
D combines daily reading's vocabulary gains with fiction's empathy benefits to introduce academic and social development. A, B, and C focus on access, distractions, or only social outcomes rather than both outcomes of daily reading.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Urban beekeeping increases pollination of city trees, community gardens, and balcony plants.
- Researchers report higher fruit yields in neighborhoods within a mile of rooftop hives.
- Several cities permit small apiaries; typical guidelines limit colonies and require beekeeper registration.
- Honeybee colonies can thrive with limited space and diverse urban flowering schedules.
- Workshops held by local clubs teach residents safe handling, hive care, and seasonal tasks.
- Some advocates caution that too many hives may strain forage in densely built areas.
The student wants to emphasize the environmental benefits of urban beekeeping. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Urban beekeeping boosts local ecosystems by increasing pollination of city vegetation and raising fruit yields near rooftop hives, supporting healthier community gardens without requiring large spaces for colonies.
New city rules limiting colonies and requiring registration make urban beekeeping safer for neighbors, clarifying beekeeper responsibilities for hive care and emergency response during incidents.
Local clubs teach residents safe handling, hive care, and seasonal tasks, ensuring beekeepers manage colonies responsibly throughout the year in urban neighborhoods and follow community guidelines.
Urban beekeeping measurably improves air quality in dense neighborhoods by filtering pollutants, while increasing pollination and fruit yields near hives across the city during the growing season.
Explanation
Choice A highlights increased pollination and higher fruit yields, directly reflecting environmental benefits. B and C focus on regulations and education, and D adds an unsupported claim about air quality.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Urban trees can lower neighborhood summer temperatures by as much as 9 degrees.
- Low-income neighborhoods have 15 to 20 percent less tree canopy than wealthier areas.
- Native tree species generally require less irrigation and resist local pests.
- Increased tree cover correlates with lower rates of heat-related illness and stress.
- City pilot programs train volunteers to water and mulch newly planted street trees.
- Property values often rise when mature trees are abundant along residential streets.
Goal: Emphasize the inequitable distribution of tree benefits across neighborhoods.
The student wants to emphasize inequitable distribution of tree benefits. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Because native species need less irrigation and resist local pests, volunteer programs that train residents to water and mulch newly planted street trees can help cities maintain young urban forests.
Mature trees often increase property values along residential streets, and native species that thrive with minimal irrigation can reduce maintenance costs for homeowners and municipalities.
Low-income neighborhoods have 15 to 20 percent less canopy, making them hotter by as much as 9 degrees and more vulnerable to heat-related illness and stress than wealthier, tree-covered areas.
City pilot programs that train volunteers to water and mulch new trees can aid survival, and neighborhoods with abundant mature trees frequently see rising property values over time.
Explanation
Choice C highlights canopy disparities and their heat and health consequences, directly emphasizing inequity. The other choices present true but tangential points about maintenance, volunteers, or property values rather than unequal distribution.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Shade from street trees can lower summer neighborhood temperatures by up to 7 degrees.
- Leaves filter particulate pollution, reducing asthma-triggering pollutants near roads significantly.
- Studies link access to green spaces with lower stress and improved mental health.
- Property values sometimes rise after major tree-planting initiatives in urban neighborhoods.
- Mature trees require pruning and can damage sidewalks without careful planning.
- Cities report reduced energy demand as trees cool buildings during heat waves.
Goal: Emphasize public health benefits of urban trees.
The student wants to emphasize the public health benefits of urban trees. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
By cooling neighborhoods and filtering roadside pollutants, urban trees help prevent heat-related illnesses and reduce asthma triggers; research also associates nearby green spaces with lower stress, contributing to better overall public health.
Tree-planting initiatives sometimes raise surrounding property values, reflecting desirability gains that can spur local investment and neighborhood pride. These shifts can change development patterns and attract new businesses over several years.
Although beneficial, mature trees demand pruning and infrastructure maintenance, requiring cities to plan carefully for sidewalk damage and ongoing costs over multi-year budgets and staffing.
Shade from trees can lower summer energy demand for cooling, helping municipal utilities manage heat-wave electricity usage and reducing strain on aging grid infrastructure during.
Explanation
Choice A directly links cooling, pollution filtering, and stress reduction to public health. B, C, and D mention true but economic, logistical, or energy-grid points that do not foreground health benefits.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- City has 65 community gardens across neighborhoods, many in food deserts.
- Several gardens waive plot fees for low-income residents and accept SNAP for seedlings.
- Most sites are within a ten-minute walk of bus stops or subway stations.
- Weekend hours and evening volunteer shifts accommodate varied work schedules.
- Garden coordinators partner with food pantries to distribute surplus produce weekly.
- Pollinator-friendly plantings increase local bee and butterfly activity, supporting neighborhood biodiversity. Goal: Emphasize accessibility for low-income residents.
The student wants to emphasize accessibility for low-income residents. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A network of gardens keeps fresh food within a short walk of transit, waives plot fees for low-income residents, and even accepts SNAP for seedlings, making participation affordable and convenient.
By planting pollinator-friendly flowers and partnering with food pantries to distribute surplus produce weekly, gardens boost neighborhood biodiversity and aid hunger relief beyond the plots.
Citywide, 65 gardens offer weekend hours and evening volunteer shifts that accommodate varied work schedules, inviting more residents to get involved throughout the week, regardless of nine-to-five commitments.
The city fully subsidizes fresh produce for all low-income residents through garden distributions, guaranteeing free weekly groceries and transportation vouchers for participants in every neighborhood.
Explanation
Choice A highlights waived fees, SNAP acceptance, and transit proximity, directly emphasizing accessibility for low-income residents. B and C are true but off-goal; D would emphasize access but is not supported by the notes.
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Teens need about 8-10 hours of sleep nightly to support learning and memory.
- Chronic sleep deprivation correlates with lower grades and reduced attention during classes.
- Blue light from screens before bedtime delays melatonin and makes falling asleep harder.
- Schools with later start times report improved attendance and standardized test performance.
- Short daytime naps can restore alertness but do not replace sufficient night sleep.
The student wants to emphasize how adequate sleep improves academic performance. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Because blue light delays melatonin, students should limit screen use before bed; when schedules are busy, short daytime naps can help restore alertness, even though they do not replace enough night sleep.
Teens generally need 8-10 hours of sleep to support learning and memory, and blue light before bedtime can make falling asleep harder for students with busy schedules.
Adequate sleep supports attention in class and is linked with higher grades; districts adopting later start times report improved attendance and standardized test performance, underscoring sleep's academic benefits.
Studies show students who sleep exactly nine hours score highest on exams across subjects, outperforming both shorter and longer sleepers, regardless of school start times or individual differences.
Explanation
C directly ties sufficient sleep to grades, attention, attendance, and test performance. A and B focus on screens or general sleep needs, and D makes an unsupported claim about exact sleep duration.