English Language and Composition Exam AP English Language and Composition Synthesis 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the strongest example of synthesis rather than summary?
- Source A says green spaces reduce stress. Source B says green spaces improve air quality. Source C says green spaces cost money.
- Although Source A and Source B both link green spaces to public health benefits, Source C's cost data suggests that policymakers must weigh these benefits against fiscal constraints. (Correct answer)
- According to Source A, green spaces reduce stress. This is important because stress is a serious problem.
- Source B discusses air quality, which is a major environmental concern in modern cities.
Correct answer: Although Source A and Source B both link green spaces to public health benefits, Source C's cost data suggests that policymakers must weigh these benefits against fiscal constraints.
True synthesis connects ideas across sources and applies them to a larger argument, rather than reporting each source's content in sequence.
Question 2: When a synthesis prompt asks students to 'take a position,' the writer should:
- Present all sides of the issue equally without favoring any
- Develop a clear, defensible claim and support it using evidence from the sources (Correct answer)
- Agree with the source that seems most authoritative
- Summarize the debate and let readers draw their own conclusions
Correct answer: Develop a clear, defensible claim and support it using evidence from the sources
Taking a position means committing to a specific claim and arguing for it — the essay is not a report but an argument.
Question 3: A writer wants to challenge a source's credibility within a synthesis essay. The most rhetorically effective method is to:
- Simply ignore the source
- Note the source's bias or limited scope and explain why this affects how much weight it should carry (Correct answer)
- State that the source is wrong without explanation
- Use the source anyway and hope the reader does not notice
Correct answer: Note the source's bias or limited scope and explain why this affects how much weight it should carry
Acknowledging a source's limitations while explaining their impact demonstrates critical evaluation and sophisticated argumentation.
Question 4: In AP synthesis essay scoring, 'sophistication' is best demonstrated by:
- Using the longest sentences possible
- Employing complex vocabulary throughout the essay
- Examining the implications of the argument or placing it in a broader context (Correct answer)
- Citing every source at least twice
Correct answer: Examining the implications of the argument or placing it in a broader context
The AP rubric awards a sophistication point for essays that demonstrate nuanced reasoning, explore complexity, or situate the argument within a larger conversation.
Question 5: Which sentence best demonstrates effective use of a direct quotation in a synthesis essay?
- Source E states, 'Urban farms increase community resilience.'
- 'Urban farms increase community resilience' (Source E).
- As Source E argues, 'Urban farms increase community resilience,' suggesting that food sovereignty is central to neighborhood stability in low-income areas. (Correct answer)
- According to Source E, urban farms are important.
Correct answer: As Source E argues, 'Urban farms increase community resilience,' suggesting that food sovereignty is central to neighborhood stability in low-income areas.
The most effective quotation use embeds the quote, attributes it clearly, and immediately explains its significance to the argument.
Question 6: A synthesis essay prompt provides six sources on standardized testing. A student's essay uses only Sources A and B. According to AP rubric standards, what score range is this essay most likely to fall in for the evidence row?
- 5-6, because depth with fewer sources is rewarded
- 3-4, because using fewer than three sources limits the score to the lower range (Correct answer)
- 1-2, because failing to use any sources results in a failing score
- The number of sources used does not affect the evidence score
Correct answer: 3-4, because using fewer than three sources limits the score to the lower range
The AP synthesis rubric requires using at least three sources; using only two caps the evidence score in the lower-middle range.
Question 7: Which revision most improves the following sentence: 'Source C talks about how pollution affects health, and Source D also discusses the same idea.'
- Source C and Source D both talk about how pollution affects health in interesting ways.
- Both Source C and Source D confirm that pollution affects health, reinforcing the claim that environmental regulation has measurable public health consequences. (Correct answer)
- Pollution affects health according to multiple sources.
- As Sources C and D show, pollution and health are connected topics.
Correct answer: Both Source C and Source D confirm that pollution affects health, reinforcing the claim that environmental regulation has measurable public health consequences.
The revision links both sources to a specific argument, showing why their agreement matters rather than simply noting that they share a topic.
English Language and Composition Exam AP English Language and Composition Synthesis 4
Which of the following is the strongest example of synthesis rather than summary?