Which of the following is NOT something that readers use as they synthesize and summarize?

When synthesizing and summarizing information, readers engage in a process of condensing material to extract key ideas and make connections. Among the options, removing irrelevant data and repeated information are essential strategies because they help streamline the content and focus on what is most important. Categorizing information into lists also assists in organizing thoughts and identifying relationships among ideas, which is helpful in synthesis.

Asking questions, while a vital part of the reading process for deeper comprehension and engagement, does not directly contribute to the act of synthesizing or summarizing. Asking questions generally initiates further exploration rather than the condensing of information. Synthesis primarily involves taking existing information and restructuring it, while questioning can lead to new perspectives or inquiries that extend beyond the information at hand. Therefore, asking questions does not fit as a strategy used specifically in the synthesis and summarization process.