Cross-Text Connections

Text 1:

Astronomer Mark Holland and colleagues examined four white dwarfs—small, dense remnants of past stars—in order to determine the composition of exoplanets that used to orbit those stars. Studying wavelengths of light in the white dwarf atmospheres, the team reported that traces of elements such as lithium and sodium support the presence of exoplanets with continental crusts similar to Earth’s.

Text 2:

Past studies of white dwarf atmospheres have concluded that certain exoplanets had continental crusts. Geologist Keith Putirka and astronomer Siyi Xu argue that those studies unduly emphasize atmospheric traces of lithium and other individual elements as signifiers of the types of rock found on Earth. The studies don’t adequately account for different minerals made up of various ratios of those elements, and the possibility of rock types not found on Earth that contain those minerals.

Based on the texts, how would Putirka and Xu (Text 2) most likely characterize the conclusion presented in Text 1?

A) As unexpected, because it was widely believed at the time that white dwarf exoplanets lack continental crusts.

B) As premature, because researchers have only just begun trying to determine what kinds of crusts white dwarf exoplanets had.

C) As questionable, because it rests on an incomplete consideration of potential sources of the elements detected in white dwarf atmospheres.

D) As puzzling, because it’s unusual to successfully detect lithium and sodium when analyzing wavelengths of light in white dwarf atmospheres.

A) Incorrect – There is no indication that scientists were surprised by the conclusion.

B) Incorrect – The issue is not about the research being premature; rather, it concerns how the evidence was interpreted.

C) Correct – Text 2 criticizes Text 1’s conclusion, arguing that it is based on an incomplete interpretation of the elements found in white dwarf atmospheres.

D) Incorrect – The argument is not about the difficulty of detecting lithium and sodium but about how their presence was used to make assumptions about exoplanets’ crusts.

Text 1:
When companies in the same industry propose merging with one another, they often claim that the merger will benefit consumers by increasing efficiency and therefore lowering prices. Economist Ying Fan investigated this notion in the context of the United States newspaper market. She modeled a hypothetical merger of Minneapolis-area newspapers and found that subscription prices would rise following a merger.

Text 2:
Economists Dario Focarelli and Fabio Panetta have argued that research on the effect of mergers on prices has focused excessively on short-term effects, which tend to be adverse for consumers. Using the case of consumer banking in Italy, they show that over the long term (several years, in their study), the efficiency gains realized by merged companies do result in economic benefits for consumers.

 Based on the texts, how would Focarelli and Panetta (Text 2) most likely respond to Fan’s findings (Text 1)?

A) They would recommend that Fan compare the near-term effect of a merger on subscription prices in the Minneapolis area with the effect of a merger in another newspaper market.

B) They would argue that over the long term the expenses incurred by the merged newspaper company will also increase.

C) They would encourage Fan to investigate whether the projected effect on subscription prices persists over an extended period.

D) They would claim that mergers have a different effect on consumer prices in the newspaper industry than in banking.

A) Incorrect – Focarelli and Panetta focus on long-term vs. short-term effects, not a comparison between different newspaper markets.

B) Incorrect – The economists do not argue that expenses increase over time; instead, they claim consumer benefits increase over time.

C) Correct – Since Focarelli and Panetta believe mergers only show benefits in the long term, they would likely encourage Fan to study the long-term effects of newspaper mergers as well.

D) Incorrect – The economists in Text 2 do not suggest that newspapers and banks experience mergers differently.

Text 1:

Ecologists have long wondered how thousands of microscopic phytoplankton species can live together near ocean surfaces competing for the same resources. According to conventional wisdom, one species should emerge after outcompeting the rest. So why do so many species remain? Ecologists’ many efforts to explain this phenomenon still haven’t uncovered a satisfactory explanation.

Text 2:

Ecologist Michael Behrenfeld and colleagues have connected phytoplankton’s diversity to their microscopic size. Because these organisms are so tiny, they are spaced relatively far apart from each other in ocean water and, moreover, experience that water as a relatively dense substance. This in turn makes it hard for them to move around and interact with one another. Therefore, says Behrenfeld’s team, direct competition among phytoplankton probably happens much less than previously thought.

Based on the texts, how would Behrenfeld and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom” discussed in Text 1?

A) By arguing that it is based on a misconception about phytoplankton species competing with one another

B) By asserting that it fails to recognize that routine replenishment of ocean nutrients prevents competition between phytoplankton species

C) By suggesting that their own findings help clarify how phytoplankton species are able to compete with larger organisms

D) By recommending that more ecologists focus their research on how competition among phytoplankton species is increased with water density

A) Correct – Text 2 states that phytoplankton are too small and spaced too far apart to engage in direct competition, contradicting the conventional wisdom in Text 1.

B) Incorrect – Text 2 does not discuss ocean nutrient replenishment as a factor.

C) Incorrect – Neither text discusses competition between phytoplankton and larger organisms.

D) Incorrect – Text 2 actually suggests that water density reduces competition, not increases it.

Text 1:

Little is known about how plate tectonics—wherein slabs of Earth’s crust move over, under, away from, and against one another—began.

Underlined sentence:
Some researchers contend that tectonic movements began around 3 billion years ago, often noting that computer models of Earth’s mantle temperature at the time indicate that the mantle would have been sufficiently molten to enable the plates to move.

Text 2:
Ultimately, any plausible claim about the inception of tectonic movement must rest on empirical evidence from the geological record. Researcher Wriju Chowdhury and his team analyzed the geochemistry of zircon crystals to gain insight into the chemical composition of the magma from which the crystals formed and, based on the data, compellingly argue that plate tectonics may have been occurring as early as 4.2 billion years ago.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to what “some researchers contend” as described in Text 1?

A) By suggesting that the temperature of Earth’s mantle 3 billion years ago was likely insufficient to allow for the level of tectonic movement predicted by computer models.

B) By distinguishing between computer models of Earth’s mantle temperature that reliably predict the onset of plate tectonics and those that do not.

C) By indicating that computer models of Earth’s mantle temperature are still being improved such that new models tend to be much more reliable than their predecessors.

D) By asserting that a more definitive form of evidence than the computer models suggests a different timeline for the onset of plate tectonics on Earth.

A) Incorrect – The author of Text 2 makes no claims about Earth’s mantle temperature, so they would not argue that it was too low to allow tectonic movement 3 billion years ago.

B) Incorrect – Text 2 does not distinguish between types of computer models. Instead, it argues that empirical evidence, not models, is needed to determine when tectonic movement began.

C) Incorrect – The author of Text 2 rejects all computer models as insufficient evidence, so they would not support the idea that newer models are more reliable.

D) Correct – Text 2 asserts that claims about tectonic movement should be based on empirical evidence from the geological record, not computer models. Chowdhury’s research provides such empirical evidence, suggesting that tectonic activity started much earlier than the 3-billion-year estimate from Text 1.

Text 1
Conventional wisdom long held that human social systems evolved in stages, beginning with hunter-gatherers forming small bands of members with roughly equal status. The shift to agriculture about 12,000 years ago sparked population growth that led to the emergence of groups with hierarchical structures: associations of clans first, then chiefdoms, and finally, bureaucratic states.

Text 2
In a 2021 book, anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow maintain that humans have always been socially flexible, alternately forming systems based on hierarchy and collective ones with decentralized leadership. The authors point to evidence that as far back as 50,000 years ago some hunter-gatherers adjusted their social structures seasonally, at times dispersing in small groups but also assembling into communities that included esteemed individuals.

Based on the texts, how would Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) most likely respond to the "conventional wisdom" presented in Text 1?

A) By conceding the importance of hierarchical systems but asserting the greater significance of decentralized collective societies

B) By disputing the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages

C) By acknowledging that hierarchical roles likely weren’t a part of social systems before the rise of agriculture

D) By challenging the assumption that groups of hunter-gatherers shifted their social structures as population growth increased

Choice B is the best answer because it describes the most likely way that Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) would respond to the “conventional wisdom” presented in Text 1. According to Text 1, the conventional wisdom about human social systems is that they developed through stages, beginning with hunter-gatherer bands, then moving to clan associations, then chiefdoms, and finally arriving at states with bureaucratic structures. Text 2 indicates that Graeber and Wengrow believe that human social systems have been flexible, shifting between different types of structures, including both hierarchical and collective systems, and that these shifts may have even occurred seasonally. This suggests that Graeber and Wengrow would dispute the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in Text 2 suggests that Graeber and Wengrow believe that decentralized collective societies are more significant than hierarchical systems. Text 2 is focused on Graeber and Wengrow’s view that humans have flexibly shifted among various social structures, not on the importance of particular structures relative to others.

Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t include any information suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow believe that hierarchies didn’t emerge until after the rise of agriculture. In fact, Text 2 indicates that Graeber and Wengrow cite evidence suggesting that some hunter-gatherer groups formed social structures with hierarchical elements (“communities that included esteemed individuals”) 50,000 years ago, long before the rise of agriculture, which Text 1 says occurred around 12,000 years ago.

Choice D is incorrect because there’s no information in Text 2 suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow would challenge the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure. Although Text 1 does indicate that hunter-gatherer groups are assumed to be the earliest human social system, Text 2 says only that Graeber and Wengrow believe that some hunter-gatherer groups made use of different social structures at different times. Text 2 doesn’t imply that Graeber and Wengrow doubt that hunter-gatherer groups preceded most other social structures.

Text 1
A tiny, unusual fossil in a piece of 99-million-year-old amber is of the extinct species Oculudentavis khaungraae. The O. khaungraae fossil consists of a rounded skull with a thin snout and a large eye socket. Because these features look like they are avian, or related to birds, researchers initially thought that the fossil might be the smallest avian dinosaur ever found.

Text 2
Paleontologists were excited to discover a second small fossil that’s similar to the strange O. khaungraae fossil but has part of the lower body along with a birdlike skull. Detailed studies of both fossils revealed several traits that are found in lizards but not in dinosaurs or birds. Therefore, paleontologists think the two creatures were probably unusual lizards, even though the skulls looked avian at first.

Based on the texts, what would the paleontologists in Text 2 most likely say about the researchers' initial thought in Text 1?

A) It is understandable because the fossil does look like it could be related to birds, even though O. khaungraae is probably a lizard.

B) It is confusing because it isn’t clear what caused the researchers to think that O. khaungraae might be related to birds.

C) It is flawed because the researchers mistakenly assumed that O. khaungraae must be a lizard.

D) It is reasonable because the O. khaungraae skull is about the same size as the skull of the second fossil but is shaped differently.

Choice A is the best answer because it reflects what the paleontologists in Text 2 would most likely say about what the researchers in Text 1 initially thought. Text 1 focuses on the discovery of a strange fossil consisting of the skull of the extinct species Oculudentavis khaungraae. According to Text 1, the fossil has features that appear to be avian, or related to birds, which led researchers to initially think that the fossil might be a very small avian dinosaur. Text 2 begins by noting the discovery of a second fossil similar to the one discussed in Text 1, then explains that based on detailed studies of both fossils, paleontologists think that the two creatures were probably unusual lizards, even though the skulls appeared avian at first. This suggests that the paleontologists in Text 2 recognize that the fossils do indeed look like they could be related to birds. For this reason, the paleontologists in Text 2 would most likely say that the initial thought of the researchers in Text 1—that the fossil was avian—is understandable, even if the fossils are probably not avian but rather from a lizard.

Choice B is incorrect because Text 2 indicates that the fossils initially looked avian, so the paleontologists described in Text 2 wouldn’t be confused by the researchers in Text 1 initially thinking that O. khaungraae might be related to birds. The paleontologists would find that initial thought understandable, not confusing.

Choice C is incorrect because Text 1 never mentions lizards, so it wouldn’t make sense for the paleontologists in Text 2 to say that the researchers in Text 1 mistakenly assumed that O. khaungraae must be a lizard.

Choice D is incorrect. Although the paleontologists in Text 2 might agree that the initial thought of the researchers in Text 1 was reasonable, nothing in Text 2 suggests that the two skulls were shaped differently.

Text 1
Conventional wisdom long held that human social systems evolved in stages, beginning with hunter-gatherers forming small bands of members with roughly equal status. The shift to agriculture about 12,000 years ago sparked population growth that led to the emergence of groups with hierarchical structures: associations of clans first, then chiefdoms, and finally, bureaucratic states.

Text 2
In a 2021 book, anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow maintain that humans have always been socially flexible, alternately forming systems based on hierarchy and collective ones with decentralized leadership. The authors point to evidence that as far back as 50,000 years ago some hunter-gatherers adjusted their social structures seasonally, at times dispersing in small groups but also assembling into communities that included esteemed individuals.

Based on the texts, how would Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom” presented in Text 1?

A) By conceding the importance of hierarchical systems but asserting the greater significance of decentralized collective societies

B) By disputing the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages

C) By acknowledging that hierarchical roles likely weren’t a part of social systems before the rise of agriculture

D) By challenging the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure

Choice B is the best answer because it describes the most likely way that Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) would respond to the “conventional wisdom” presented in Text 1. According to Text 1, the conventional wisdom about human social systems is that they developed through stages, beginning with hunter-gatherer bands, then moving to clan associations, then chiefdoms, and finally arriving at states with bureaucratic structures. Text 2 indicates that Graeber and Wengrow believe that human social systems have been flexible, shifting between different types of structures, including both hierarchical and collective systems, and that these shifts may have even occurred seasonally. This suggests that Graeber and Wengrow would dispute the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in Text 2 suggests that Graeber and Wengrow believe that decentralized collective societies are more significant than hierarchical systems. Text 2 is focused on Graeber and Wengrow’s view that humans have flexibly shifted among various social structures, not on the importance of particular structures relative to others. 

Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t include any information suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow believe that hierarchies didn’t emerge until after the rise of agriculture. In fact, Text 2 indicates that Graeber and Wengrow cite evidence suggesting that some hunter-gatherer groups formed social structures with hierarchical elements (“communities that included esteemed individuals”) 50,000 years ago, long before the rise of agriculture, which Text 1 says occurred around 12,000 years ago. 

Choice D is incorrect because there’s no information in Text 2 suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow would challenge the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure. Although Text 1 does indicate that hunter-gatherer groups are assumed to be the earliest human social system, Text 2 says only that Graeber and Wengrow believe that some hunter-gatherer groups made use of different social structures at different times. Text 2 doesn’t imply that Graeber and Wengrow doubt that hunter-gatherer groups preceded most other social structures.

Text 1
Graphic novels are increasingly popular in bookstores and libraries, but they shouldn’t be classified as literature. By definition, literature tells a story or conveys meaning through language only; graphic novels tell stories through illustrations and use language only sparingly, in captions and dialogue. Graphic novels are experienced as series of images and not as language, making them more similar to film than to literature.

Text 2
Graphic novels present their stories through both language and images. Without captions and dialogue, readers would be unable to understand what is depicted in the illustrations: the story results from the interaction of text and image. Moreover, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and many other graphic novels feature text that is as beautifully written as the prose found in many standard novels. Therefore, graphic novels qualify as literary texts.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the overall argument presented in Text 1?

A) By asserting that language plays a more important role in graphic novels than the author of Text 1 recognizes.

B) By acknowledging that the author of Text 1 has identified a flaw that is common to all graphic novels.

C) By suggesting that the storylines of certain graphic novels are more difficult to understand than the author of Text 1 claims.

D) By agreeing with the author of Text 1 that most graphic novels aren’t as well crafted as most literary works are.

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the argument presented in Text 1. In graphic novels, images, text, and language are the primary means by which graphic novels tell their stories, and language is used "only sparingly," meaning the main purpose of graphic novels is to tell their stories through images. The text suggests that graphic novels cannot be classified as literature because they depend so little on language, whereas Text 2 argues that language in graphic novels is equally valid for conveying meaning as images are. The author of Text 2 argues that stories must be told with both, with language being an essential component of graphic novels.

Choice B is incorrect because the author of Text 1 suggests that graphic novels shouldn't be classified as literature based on their limited use of language, but the author of Text 2 argues that graphic novels use language as effectively as standard novels.

Choice C is incorrect because it suggests that Text 2's author would say that graphic novels should be treated as literature but doesn’t recognize the significance of images in storytelling.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t argue that graphic novels are like films, making them more visually oriented than verbally focused.

Text 1:
In 1954 George Balanchine choreographed a production of The Nutcracker, a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It has since become a tradition for hundreds of dance companies in North America to stage The Nutcracker each year. But the show is stuck in the past, with an old-fashioned story and references, so it should no longer be produced. Ballet needs to create new traditions if it wants to stay relevant to contemporary audiences.

Text 2:
The Nutcracker is outdated, but it should be kept because it’s a holiday favorite and provides substantial income for some dance companies. Although it can be behind the times, there are creative ways to update the show. For example, Debbie Allen successfully modernized the story. Her show Hot Chocolate Nutcracker combines ballet, tap, hip-hop, and other styles, and it has been gaining in popularity since it opened in 2009.

 Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?

A) By questioning the idea that the story of The Nutcracker is stuck in the past and by rejecting the suggestion that contemporary audiences would enjoy an updated version

B) By agreeing that contemporary audiences have largely stopped going to see performances of The Nutcracker because it’s so old-fashioned

C) By pointing out that most dance companies could increase their incomes by offering modernized versions of The Nutcracker

D) By suggesting that dance companies should consider offering revised versions of The Nutcracker instead of completely rejecting the show

A) Incorrect – Text 2 agrees The Nutcracker is outdated, so it wouldn’t question that idea.

B) Incorrect – Neither text claims audiences have stopped attending.

C) Incorrect – Text 2 notes income from performances, but not that modernization is the way to increase it.

D) Correct – Text 2 supports keeping the show through updates like Allen’s, offering a revised version rather than abandonment.