Question 19·Easy·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Engineer Maria Lopez is celebrated for inventing a compact, solar-powered water purifier that supplies safe drinking water to remote villages. Although Lopez later branched out into wind-turbine design and urban energy consulting, many journalists argue that the purifier remains the clearest example of her commitment to practical, community-focused technology.
Text 2
Some biographers contend that Maria Lopez’s influence has been underestimated because critics focus too narrowly on her popular solar water purifier. They point out that Lopez eventually founded a successful renewable-energy firm that advised several cities. Nevertheless, these biographers acknowledge that the purifier was a breakthrough invention that immediately improved public health in underserved areas.
Based on the two texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
For cross-text agreement questions, first quickly summarize each text in a few words (e.g., “Text 1: celebrates purifier; mentions consulting” and “Text 2: says influence underestimated; still calls purifier a breakthrough”). Then scan the answer choices and eliminate any statement that is not clearly supported by both texts or that adds new, unsupported details. Be especially careful with choices that compare importance (e.g., “more important than”) or talk about frequency (“rarely,” “usually”); these often go beyond what the passages actually say. The correct answer will usually be a simple, shared fact that you can underline in each passage.
Hints
Focus on shared information
Before looking at the choices, ask yourself: What clear facts about Maria Lopez appear in both Text 1 and Text 2?
Separate facts from opinions or emphasis
Some details in the texts reflect opinions about how important certain parts of Lopez’s work are. For this question, you need a basic fact they both clearly state, not who thinks what is more important.
Check each option against both texts
For each answer choice, ask: Can I point to specific words or sentences in both Text 1 and Text 2 that support this statement? If it is missing from either text, eliminate it.
Be wary of details that appear in only one text
If an answer mentions something like how often she collaborated, or what she did most of the time, make sure those details are clearly stated in both texts, not just implied or in one passage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks: “Based on the two texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?” You must find a statement that is true in Text 1 and Text 2, not just one of them. Any answer choice that is not supported by both texts is wrong.
Summarize the main points of Text 1
Text 1 says:
- Maria Lopez is celebrated for inventing a compact, solar-powered water purifier that helps remote villages.
- She later worked on wind-turbine design and urban energy consulting.
- Journalists argue that the purifier is still the clearest example of her commitment to practical, community-focused technology.
So Text 1 clearly connects Lopez with inventing a solar-powered water purifier and mentions later consulting work but does not say that consulting is more important.
Summarize the main points of Text 2
Text 2 says:
- Some biographers think Lopez’s influence is underestimated because critics focus too narrowly on her popular solar water purifier.
- Lopez later founded a renewable-energy firm that advised several cities.
- These biographers still acknowledge that the purifier was a breakthrough invention that improved public health.
So Text 2 also clearly connects Lopez with a solar water purifier and mentions consulting/advising cities, but mainly to argue that her influence goes beyond that purifier.
Test each answer choice against both texts
Now check each option:
-
A) Lopez's consulting work was more important than her earlier inventions.
Text 1 actually suggests the opposite, saying the purifier remains the clearest example of her commitment. Text 2 says her influence is underestimated when people focus only on the purifier, but it never clearly says consulting work was more important. So both texts do not agree with A. -
B) Lopez rarely collaborated with other engineers on projects.
Neither text mentions whether she collaborated with others. There is no evidence for this in either passage. -
D) Lopez primarily published research papers instead of building devices.
Both texts talk about her building devices (the purifier, wind turbines) and later running a consulting firm. They never mention publishing research papers at all. So D is not supported.
Only one option states a fact that clearly appears in both Text 1 and Text 2.
Identify the shared fact and choose the answer
The remaining option is:
- C) Lopez designed a solar-powered water purifier.
Text 1: “Engineer Maria Lopez is celebrated for inventing a compact, solar-powered water purifier...”
Text 2: “...critics focus too narrowly on her popular solar water purifier” and calls it a breakthrough invention.
Both texts clearly agree that Lopez created a solar-powered water purifier, so the correct answer is C) Lopez designed a solar-powered water purifier.