Question 20·Medium·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Employees who work from home miss the face-to-face exchanges that spark innovation. Ideas often emerge from unplanned hallway conversations and quick sketches on a shared whiteboard—moments that simply cannot be recreated through screens. Because digital communication strips away nuance and discourages spontaneous discussion, a workforce that is primarily remote will inevitably suffer declines in collaboration and creativity. Companies that prize originality should therefore require their staff to be on-site.
Text 2
Advances in technology have made remote collaboration not only possible but also highly effective. Real-time virtual whiteboards, video meetings, and shared documents allow team members to brainstorm and iterate no matter where they are located. In fact, asynchronous channels—forums and recorded walkthroughs—often produce more thoughtful contributions than hurried office chats. Rather than stifling creativity, remote work can broaden it by bringing together diverse talent from different regions.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the main claim presented in Text 1?
For cross-text connection questions, first summarize each text’s main point in your own words, especially the author’s view on the key issue (here, remote work and creativity). Then decide whether the second author would agree, disagree, or partly agree with the first. Finally, scan the choices for the one that matches this relationship and is fully supported by what the second text actually says, quickly eliminating answers that either introduce new, irrelevant topics or flip the stance (agree vs. disagree).
Hints
Locate Text 1’s main idea
Look back at the first and last sentences of Text 1. What overall claim is the author making about how remote work affects collaboration and creativity?
Determine Text 2’s view of remote work
In Text 2, note whether the author thinks remote work harms, has no effect on, or improves collaboration and creativity. Pay attention to words like "highly effective," "more thoughtful," or "broaden."
Figure out the relationship between the two texts
Ask yourself: Would the author of Text 2 agree with Text 1’s main claim or challenge it? Look for an answer choice that matches that relationship.
Eliminate irrelevant or unsupported ideas
Cross out any answer choices that bring in topics Text 2 never mentions (for example, financial savings) or that clearly contradict what Text 2 actually says about remote work.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the main claim of Text 1
Focus on the first and last sentences of Text 1.
- The first sentence says employees who work from home "miss the face-to-face exchanges that spark innovation."
- The last sentence concludes that companies that value originality "should therefore require their staff to be on-site." Putting this together, Text 1’s main claim is that remote work inevitably leads to worse collaboration and creativity, so employees should work in the office.
Identify the main claim of Text 2
Now look at what Text 2 says about remote work and creativity.
- It states that advances in technology have made remote collaboration "highly effective."
- It describes tools like virtual whiteboards, video meetings, and shared documents that let teams brainstorm from anywhere.
- It even says asynchronous channels can produce more thoughtful contributions than hurried office chats and that remote work can broaden creativity by including diverse talent. So Text 2 clearly has a positive view: remote work can support and even increase collaboration and creativity.
Decide how Text 2 would respond to Text 1
Compare the two main claims:
- Text 1: remote work inevitably hurts collaboration and creativity, so staff should be on-site.
- Text 2: remote work, using modern tools, can be highly effective and can broaden creativity. Because these views conflict, the author of Text 2 would disagree with Text 1’s main claim and counter it by emphasizing the effectiveness and creative potential of remote collaboration.
Match that relationship to the answer choices
Now check which option shows Text 2 disagreeing with Text 1 by defending the creative potential of remote work:
- A says the author would acknowledge diminished creativity as unavoidable, which agrees with Text 1 and contradicts Text 2.
- B says the author values remote work mainly for cost savings, but Text 2 never mentions real-estate or money.
- C says the author agrees that spontaneous office interactions are superior, but Text 2 suggests remote channels can be better than hurried office chats.
- D says the author would respond by asserting that modern digital tools enable remote workers to collaborate just as creatively as employees in a shared office, which fits Text 2’s positive view of remote collaboration. Therefore, the correct answer is D) By asserting that modern digital tools enable remote workers to collaborate just as creatively as employees in a shared office.