For a paired passage question that asks for synthesis, which approach is best?

• A. Identify common themes or arguments, compare how each author supports their points, and synthesize evidence from both passages.
• B. Read only one passage and ignore the other.
• C. Focus on the author with stronger opinions.
• D. Summarize each passage separately without synthesis.

Answer: (A)

The skill being tested is synthesis across paired passages. The best approach is to identify common themes or arguments, compare how each author supports their points, and synthesize evidence from both passages to build a cohesive understanding.

Why this works: paired-passage synthesis asks you to move beyond describing what each author says. You scan for shared ideas or debates, then examine the reasoning and evidence each author uses—statistics, examples, anecdotes, or logical reasoning—and think about how they complement, contradict, or deepen one another. By weaving together the arguments and the evidence from both texts, you show how the two perspectives relate to a broader question or issue, not just what each author says in isolation.

This approach matters because it demonstrates your ability to integrate information from multiple sources and to evaluate how different viewpoints contribute to a fuller answer. Reading only one passage misses important angles, focusing only on which author is more emphatic ignores the reasons behind their positions, and summarizing each passage separately fails to connect ideas across texts.

To apply it, note the main claims and the supporting evidence in both passages, look for overlaps or tensions, and then craft a synthesis that highlights how the texts speak to each other. For example, if one passage emphasizes economic costs and the other emphasizes health benefits, synthesize by discussing how policy design could balance both, using evidence from both sources to support that integrated view.