RS-2 Synthesise information from more than one text Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. What does it mean to synthesise information from two texts?

   • Summarising only the first text in detail and mentioning the second text in a single sentence
   • Deciding which of the two texts has the more impressive vocabulary and writing it up as a verdict
   • Copying out the main points of the first text and then copying out the main points of the second
   • Combining relevant information from both texts to form a single, coherent understanding of the topic

2. Text A says a river is polluted by farm run-off. Text B says the same river has recovered after new rules. What is a valid synthesis?

   • Farm run-off once polluted the river, but newer rules have since helped it to recover
   • The river is a popular place for swimming, as the second text describes it in detail
   • Both texts are written in the past tense and so they must be describing the same period
   • Text A is more reliable than Text B because it uses a more emotional tone and bolder words

3. Which approach best supports a synthesis across two texts?

   • Listing the page numbers where each text is found so the examiner can check the sources
   • Quoting each text's opening sentence only, since openings are usually the most important
   • Grouping information by theme or idea and then drawing both texts into each point
   • Writing the whole of Text A first, then the whole of Text B, with no link between them

4. Two texts describe a shop's opening hours. Text A says 9am to 5pm, and Text B says 10am to 6pm. What is the most useful synthesis?

   • The shop must be open for exactly eight hours each day, according to both of the sources
   • The shop's hours have changed, opening later and closing later than the earlier listed times
   • The shop is open all day and night, since the two texts give different times of opening
   • The shop has never opened in the morning, because both texts mention times after nine

5. What is the most important thing to show when comparing information from two texts in a synthesis answer?

   • The length of each text measured in words so the examiner can see which is the longer one
   • The name of each author together with their age so that their life story can be judged
   • The points where the two texts agree and the points where they differ, each supported by evidence
   • The font and layout of each text so that the examiner can see how they were presented

6. Text A describes a village as quiet and rural. Text B describes the same village as busy with tourists in summer. Which is a valid synthesis?

   • The village is always silent and empty, because Text B describes only the summer season at all
   • Text A is untrustworthy because a village cannot be both quiet and busy at the same time ever
   • The village is quiet for much of the year but becomes busy with visitors during the summer months
   • The village has no visitors, since Text A says it is quiet and Text B mentions tourists briefly

7. Which of these is a weak synthesis?

   • Text A argues the plan will save money, while Text B warns that the costs may rise sharply
   • Text A is about the plan's benefits and Text B is about the risks, so they cover both sides
   • Text A supports the plan and Text B supports it too, although only Text B gives any evidence
   • Text A focuses on the environment, and Text B focuses on the economic impact of the same plan

8. In a synthesis, what does 'coherent' mean?

   • The combined information forms one logical, connected account that a reader can follow easily
   • Each sentence is written in exactly the same length, so the whole answer looks the same shape
   • The student uses only one tense and one person throughout the answer without any variation at all
   • All of the information is placed in one long paragraph, so that the reader sees it all at once

9. Two writers describe the same museum. One praises its displays and the other criticises its cost. Which is the best synthesis point?

   • Both writers agree the museum should close, because the displays are old and out of date
   • The museum is the most expensive building in the city, according to the both of the writers
   • Visitors value the displays, but some find the entry cost a barrier to visiting the museum
   • The writers are both wrong, since the museum is free to enter on the first Monday of each month

10. Which phrase introduces a synthesis point well?

    • This is the first text and this is the second text, and they are both about the policy
    • While the first text suggests the policy worked, the second text offers evidence that it did not
    • The first text says one thing. The second text says another thing. The end of the answer.
    • Text one is written in a formal voice, and text two is written in a more informal voice

11. Which sentence shows a student synthesising two texts about the same event?

    • Both accounts describe the flood as sudden, but the second adds that rescue teams arrived within an hour
    • The first account is printed in a newspaper, and the second account appears in a magazine instead
    • The first account has a red cover, while the second account has a blue cover and a larger font
    • The first account is by a man who is tall, and the second account is by a woman who is short

12. Which of these shows a student has only summarised two texts, rather than synthesised them?

    • Text A is written by an engineer, so it is more reliable than Text B, which is written by a local resident who uses the bridge
    • Text A says the bridge is busy, and Text B says the bridge is busy too, with neither text going any further than that
    • Text A says the bridge is busy, and Text B reports heavy traffic, which explains why the council funded its repair this year
    • Text A says the bridge was built in 1900, and Text B describes a storm rebuild, showing that the bridge has been repaired over time

13. A student writes: 'Both sources agree on the cause but disagree on the solution.' What does this sentence achieve?

    • It quotes both writers directly, which is required for every answer to a synthesis question
    • It describes the layout of each source document, which is a feature of presentation only
    • It identifies a shared point and a difference, which is the basis of a comparative synthesis
    • It judges which writer is more persuasive, which is an evaluation rather than a synthesis

14. A synthesis should avoid which error?

    • Supporting each synthesised point with a short quotation or a clear reference to the text
    • Using connectives such as 'however' or 'similarly' to link ideas drawn from each text
    • Inventing a link between the texts that neither writer makes or implies in their material
    • Grouping the ideas by theme so that both texts appear under each main point of the answer

15. Two accounts of a storm give different wind speeds: 40 mph and 55 mph. Which is the best synthesis?

    • The accounts give different wind speeds, between 40 and 55 mph, so the exact speed is uncertain
    • The storm had a wind speed of exactly 47.5 mph, because the average of both figures is correct
    • Neither account has any value, because two wind speeds can never describe the same single storm
    • The first account must be lying, since its wind speed is lower than the second account's figure

16. When synthesising from two texts, what should a student do with a point that appears in only one text?

    • Include it as a distinct point, noting which text it comes from, rather than presenting it as shared
    • Replace it with a personal opinion about the topic, so that the answer has its own voice
    • Present it as if both writers had made the same point, to make the answer look more balanced
    • Remove it completely, as synthesis may only include points that appear in both of the texts

17. What does the word 'synthesise' refer to in the context of reading?

    • Translating a text from one language into another so that it can be read by more people
    • Reading a text aloud with a range of voices so that a listener can follow the story clearly
    • Converting a text into a diagram or table so that its information can be read at a glance
    • Bringing together information from more than one source to form a new, combined understanding

18. Text A praises a bakery's bread. Text B says the bakery closed for two weeks for refurbishment. Which is a valid synthesis?

    • The bakery is well regarded for its bread, but it has recently had a period of closure for refurbishment
    • The bakery's bread is the worst in the town, as proven by the closure described in Text B above
    • Both texts describe a bakery in another town, so neither one can be used in this answer at all
    • The bakery has never sold bread, since the two texts discuss its reputation and its closure instead

19. Two texts about a lake: Text A says it freezes every winter, Text B says it froze only once in ten years. What is the best synthesis?

    • The lake has never frozen in the past decade, because one freezing event is not enough to matter
    • The lake freezes every winter without exception, so Text B must be wrong about the freezing
    • The lake freezes rarely, which suggests winters have been milder than usual in the period described
    • The lake is always frozen solid, which makes both texts agree that it is unsafe for any walkers

20. Which of these is a synthesis rather than a summary of one text?

    • Text A reports rising costs for farmers, and it ends with a call for the government to act quickly
    • Text A reports rising costs for farmers, with a list of the five most affected regions and their figures
    • Text A reports rising costs for farmers, written in a formal tone with long and complex sentences
    • Text A reports rising costs for farmers, and Text B reports that supermarkets have cut their prices to match

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