Question 146·Medium·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Several recent studies report that students who read academic articles on tablets or laptops remember fewer key points than students who read the same articles on paper. Researchers attribute this difference to on-screen distractions such as hyperlinks, notifications, and the physical act of scrolling, all of which interrupt the sustained attention required for deep comprehension. Because digital devices inevitably invite such distractions, serious readers should rely on print if they wish to understand and retain what they read.
Text 2
Digital reading need not compromise comprehension. E-ink readers and “focus” apps can present texts on uncluttered screens free of pop-ups and hyperlinks, replicating the visual stability of a printed page. In addition, digital platforms can supply tools—search functions, instant dictionaries, and adjustable font sizes—that help readers process and remember complex material. When thoughtfully designed, screen-based reading environments can foster engagement that equals, and sometimes exceeds, that associated with print.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim that on-screen reading weakens comprehension?
For cross-text questions, quickly summarize each passage’s main claim in your own words first (e.g., “Text 1: print is better for comprehension; Text 2: good digital design can be just as good or better”). Then, when the question asks how one author would respond to the other, imagine them in a conversation: what would the second author say directly back to the first claim, based only on what’s actually stated? Finally, match that imagined response to the answer choices and eliminate any options that introduce new ideas (like convenience, length of text, or limits to certain uses) that are not supported by the second text.
Hints
Pin down Text 1’s main point
Before looking at the answer choices, be clear about what Text 1 claims about reading on screens versus on paper. How does Text 1 think screens affect comprehension?
Summarize Text 2’s attitude toward digital reading
Focus on the first and last sentences of Text 2. Does the author think digital reading necessarily hurts comprehension, or offers possibilities to maintain or improve it?
Think about how Text 2 would directly answer Text 1
If the author of Text 2 were responding to the author of Text 1 in a debate, what main point would they make about the effect of screen design on comprehension?
Eliminate choices that add new limits or concessions
Look for answer choices that introduce ideas Text 2 never mentions, such as text length, convenience, or limiting screens to certain types of reading. Cross those out.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand Text 1’s claim
First, identify what Text 1 is arguing about digital reading.
- Text 1 says that students who read on screens remember fewer key points than those who read on paper.
- It blames on‑screen distractions like hyperlinks, notifications, and scrolling.
- It concludes that because these distractions are “inevitable,” serious readers should rely on print for deep understanding.
So, Text 1’s core claim: on‑screen reading weakens comprehension, so serious readers should prefer print.
Find Text 2’s main response to that claim
Now, see how Text 2 talks about digital reading and comprehension.
Key lines from Text 2:
- “Digital reading need not compromise comprehension.”
- E‑ink readers and focus apps can make screens uncluttered and like a printed page.
- Digital platforms offer tools that help readers process and remember complex material.
- “When thoughtfully designed, screen‑based reading environments can foster engagement that equals, and sometimes exceeds, that associated with print.”
So Text 2 believes digital reading can be just as good or even better for comprehension if it is well designed.
Translate Text 2’s view into a response to Text 1
Imagine the author of Text 2 speaking directly to the author of Text 1.
- Text 1: Screens inherently distract and weaken comprehension; print is better.
- Text 2: Screens don’t have to be distracting; tools and design can remove distractions and even enhance comprehension.
So Text 2 would not agree that screens are inherently worse. Instead, they would emphasize the potential advantages of well‑designed digital reading environments.
Match that response to the answer choices
Now compare this understanding to the choices:
- Choice B talks about conceding that digital reading is more distracting but excusing it because of convenience. Text 2 does not concede that comprehension is worse and never mentions convenience.
- Choice C limits equal comprehension to short texts only, but Text 2 says nothing about text length.
- Choice D says screens should be used only for recreational, not academic, reading, which contradicts Text 2’s positive claims about understanding “complex material.”
- Choice A says that well‑designed digital platforms can foster even deeper engagement than print can, which matches Text 2’s idea that engagement on screens can equal or exceed that of print when designed thoughtfully.
Therefore, the correct answer is A) By arguing that well-designed digital platforms can foster even deeper engagement than print can.