Question 131·Medium·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1 Botanist Dr. Hakeem reports that when farmers sow strips of native wildflowers along the edges of their fields, crop pollination improves dramatically. In trials conducted during a single growing season, fruit set in adjacent tomato plots rose by 25 percent, leading Dr. Hakeem to conclude that "native‐plant borders offer a reliable way to boost yields while supporting local biodiversity."
Text 2 Ecologist Dr. Perera followed farms that adopted wildflower borders for four consecutive years. She observed a spike in pollinator visits during the first year, but by year three a few aggressive flower species dominated the strips, and overall pollinator diversity—and tomato fruit set—declined below pre-planting levels. Dr. Perera argues that without periodic re-seeding and weed control, wildflower borders can become "ecological traps" that ultimately fail to aid crops.
Based on the passages, how would Dr. Perera (Text 2) most likely respond to Dr. Hakeem’s conclusion in Text 1?
For cross-text connection questions, first summarize each author’s main claim in a short phrase (e.g., “Hakeem: short-term success, calls it reliable” vs. “Perera: long-term study shows decline without management”). Then ask how the second author would respond to the first—do they agree, partially agree but add a condition, or directly disagree? Finally, eliminate choices that introduce new topics not in the texts (like weather or soil nutrients here) and select the option that most directly reflects the second text’s stated evidence and argument about the first author’s claim.
Hints
Compare the time frames in the two texts
Look at how long each scientist studied the wildflower borders. How long was Hakeem’s trial, and how long did Perera observe the farms? How might that affect their conclusions?
Focus on what changes over the years in Text 2
In Text 2, note what happens in year 1 versus by year 3. What does Perera say happens to pollinator diversity and tomato fruit set over time, and what management actions does she mention?
Eliminate answer choices that add new, unsupported ideas
Check each option against what Text 2 actually says. Cross out any choice that brings in topics like weather, soil nutrients, or different crops if those ideas never appear in Perera’s passage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand Dr. Hakeem’s claim in Text 1
Focus on what Dr. Hakeem concludes:
- He saw a 25% increase in tomato fruit set in one growing season.
- Based on that single-season trial, he concludes that native-plant borders offer a “reliable way to boost yields” and support biodiversity.
So his key ideas are: short-term evidence, and a strong, general claim about reliability.
Understand Dr. Perera’s findings in Text 2
Now summarize Dr. Perera’s results:
- She followed farms for four consecutive years, so her study is longer-term.
- Year 1: pollinator visits spike (a benefit similar to Hakeem’s result).
- By year 3: a few aggressive flower species dominate, and pollinator diversity and tomato fruit set drop below pre-planting levels.
- She says that without periodic re-seeding and weed control, wildflower borders can become “ecological traps” that fail to aid crops.
Her main point: benefits can disappear and even turn harmful if borders aren’t actively managed over time.
Connect Perera’s perspective to Hakeem’s conclusion
Ask: If Dr. Perera read Hakeem’s conclusion that wildflower borders are a reliable way to boost yields, what would she say?
- She would likely agree that there can be an initial improvement in pollination and fruit set (she saw that in year 1).
- But she would object to calling the method reliable based only on a single season.
- She would emphasize that over multiple years, without proper management (re-seeding, weed control), the positive effect can fade and even reverse.
So we are looking for an answer choice that shows her qualifying or criticizing his claim by stressing long-term management and persistence of the effect.
Match the reasoning to the answer choices
Evaluate each option against Text 2:
- A) Talks about testing other crops; Text 2 does not mention other crops at all.
- C) Claims wildflower borders deplete soil nutrients; soil nutrients are never discussed.
- D) Blames favorable weather instead of borders; Text 2 accepts that borders help at first and does not mention weather.
- B) Says the improvement Hakeem saw may not last unless the borders are actively managed over multiple years, which matches Perera’s findings about long-term decline without re-seeding and weed control.
Therefore, the correct answer is B) She would point out that the improvement Hakeem observed may not persist unless the borders are actively managed over multiple years.