Question bank / Rhetorical Synthesis

Reading and Writing · Expression of IdeasMedium

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Several cities have turned unused rail lines into public parks.
• The Promenade Plantée in Paris opened in 1993 on a former railway line.
• The High Line in New York City opened its first section in 2009 on a former elevated freight line.
• The Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago opened in 2015 on a former rail embankment.

The student wants to make a generalization about how cities have reused old rail lines. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A

Cities including Paris, New York, and Chicago have turned unused rail lines into public parks.

B

The High Line in New York City opened its first section in 2009.

C

The Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago opened in 2015 on a former rail embankment.

D

The Promenade Plantée opened in Paris in 1993, sixteen years before the first section of the High Line.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A

A generalization describes a pattern across many cases. Choice A states the pattern shared by all three cities: unused rail lines became parks.

Choice D mentions two of the parks, but it compares their opening dates instead of stating a general pattern.

Why the other choices are wrong

  • B. This describes one park rather than a pattern across cities.
  • C. This gives details about a single park in Chicago.
  • D. This compares two opening dates instead of making a general statement.
Ask Owl about this questionNext question

Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free, or take a free full-length practice test.