Question 143·Hard·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Despite its lively narration, Maya Bhattacharya’s 2021 biography of Ada Lovelace overstates Lovelace’s originality. By repeating claims from celebratory later accounts and overlooking marginal annotations in the Babbage notebooks that attribute crucial algorithmic steps to other collaborators, the book transforms a collaborative project into a solitary triumph.
Text 2
Maya Bhattacharya’s study is a spirited and judicious account that rightly emphasizes Lovelace’s synthesizing intellect. While the opening chapters sometimes lapse into melodrama, the book’s close engagement with manuscript evidence supports its central claim that Lovelace conceptualized computation in a way distinct from her contemporaries.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the authors of Text 1 and Text 2 view Bhattacharya’s biography of Ada Lovelace?
For cross-text questions, first quickly summarize each text’s overall attitude in a few words (for example, “critical of exaggeration” vs. “supportive with minor style concerns”). Then test each answer choice in halves: verify the Text 1 clause against Text 1, and the Text 2 clause against Text 2. Eliminate any choice where either half misstates tone (positive/negative), focus (style vs. substance), or a key detail (like evidence, originality, or collaboration).
Hints
Pin down Text 1’s main criticism
In Text 1, look for what the author says the biography gets wrong about Ada Lovelace. Is the problem about style, about evidence, or about how Lovelace’s role is portrayed?
Pin down Text 2’s overall attitude
In Text 2, decide whether the author is mostly positive, mostly negative, or mixed about the biography. Notice which parts are praised (content, evidence, argument) and which parts are criticized (if any).
Compare content vs. style
Ask yourself: which text is criticizing the substance of the argument (what the book claims and how it uses evidence), and which text is more concerned with how the book is written (its tone or melodrama)?
Test each half of the answer choices
For each choice, separately check: Does the first half accurately describe Text 1? Does the second half accurately describe Text 2? Eliminate any choice where even one half doesn’t fit the text.
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify what the question is asking
The question asks for a difference in how the two authors view Bhattacharya’s biography. So you need to:
- Identify Text 1’s overall opinion and main criticism.
- Identify Text 2’s overall opinion and any criticisms.
- Then find the answer choice that correctly contrasts these two views.
Determine the view in Text 1
Focus on key phrases in Text 1:
- "overstates Lovelace’s originality" → the author thinks the book exaggerates Lovelace’s originality.
- "repeating claims from celebratory later accounts" → it relies on overly celebratory sources.
- "overlooking marginal annotations ... that attribute crucial algorithmic steps to other collaborators" → it ignores evidence that others contributed important work.
- "transforms a collaborative project into a solitary triumph" → the book turns group work into a story of Lovelace alone.
So Text 1’s view: the biography is flawed because it inflates Lovelace’s role by neglecting collaborators’ contributions.
Determine the view in Text 2
Now look at Text 2’s wording:
- "spirited and judicious account" → overall positive description.
- "rightly emphasizes Lovelace’s synthesizing intellect" → agrees with the book’s focus on Lovelace’s mind.
- "opening chapters sometimes lapse into melodrama" → minor criticism of style (overly dramatic writing).
- "close engagement with manuscript evidence supports its central claim" → the research with manuscripts backs up the main claim.
- "Lovelace conceptualized computation in a way distinct from her contemporaries" → supports Lovelace’s distinctiveness/originality.
So Text 2’s view: the biography’s central claim is well supported by evidence, even though the prose can be a bit melodramatic.
Match both views to the answer choices
The correct choice must say that Text 1 thinks the book exaggerates Lovelace and ignores collaborators, and Text 2 thinks the book’s central argument is strong, with only some stylistic issues.
The choice that does this is:
The author of Text 1 argues that the book inflates Lovelace’s role by neglecting evidence of others’ contributions, whereas the author of Text 2 contends that the book’s central claim is well supported even if the prose is occasionally overdramatic.