Question 25·Easy·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Nutrition researcher Dr. Lara Nichols analyzed data from hundreds of elementary schools that launched free breakfast programs. She found higher student attendance and modest gains in test scores after the meals were introduced. Nichols concludes that every public school should offer free breakfast because "a nutritious start to the day boosts both presence and performance."
Text 2
Economist Marco Díaz also investigated school breakfast initiatives. His study confirmed that attendance generally rises when breakfast is available, but academic gains appeared only in schools that served high-quality, nutrient-dense foods. Díaz cautions that districts adopting inexpensive, low-nutrition menus "may see fuller classrooms but not smarter students."
Based on the two texts, how would Díaz (Text 2) most likely critique Nichols’s policy recommendation in Text 1?
For cross-text connection questions, first summarize each passage in one short sentence: what claim is the author making and on what key condition or evidence does it rest? Next, ask how the second author would respond to the first—do they fully agree, partially agree with a condition, or disagree? Then scan the choices for the one that reflects that specific point of agreement or disagreement, and quickly eliminate any answer that introduces ideas (like cost, lunch, or student attitudes) that neither text mentions.
Hints
Understand Nichols’s recommendation
Look closely at the last sentence of Text 1. What does Nichols think every public school should do, and what two benefits does she believe will result?
Identify Díaz’s key condition
In Text 2, Díaz agrees that attendance rises with breakfast programs, but what specific condition does he say must be met for academic performance to improve?
Look for the disagreement
How does Díaz’s warning about schools with inexpensive, low-nutrition menus relate to Nichols’s claim that breakfast boosts both presence and performance?
Eliminate answers not supported by either text
Check each answer choice and ask: Is this concern (cost, student rejection, lunch vs. breakfast) mentioned or implied in either text, or is it introduced out of nowhere?
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify Nichols’s claim in Text 1
Focus on Nichols’s conclusion: she says “every public school should offer free breakfast because ‘a nutritious start to the day boosts both presence and performance.’” That means:
- She supports free breakfast in all public schools.
- She believes breakfast programs will both increase attendance (presence) and improve test scores (performance).
- She treats offering free breakfast, in general, as sufficient to get these benefits.
Clarify Díaz’s main finding and warning in Text 2
Now read Díaz’s study results:
- He agrees that attendance rises when breakfast is available.
- But he finds academic gains only in schools serving “high-quality, nutrient-dense foods.”
- He warns that schools using “inexpensive, low-nutrition menus” “may see fuller classrooms but not smarter students.”
So for Díaz, the quality of the food is crucial for improving academic performance.
Compare Díaz’s position to Nichols’s recommendation
Put the two viewpoints side by side:
- Nichols: Any free breakfast program boosts both attendance and performance, so every school should offer it.
- Díaz: Free breakfast reliably boosts attendance, but it boosts academic performance only when the food is high-quality and nutrient-dense.
So Díaz would likely say that Nichols is overgeneralizing: she is treating all breakfast programs as equally beneficial for academics, without considering differences in nutritional quality.
Match this critique to the best answer choice
We need the choice that shows Díaz would criticize Nichols for ignoring the importance of food quality for academic gains.
Only choice B) Nichols ignores that the nutritional quality of the meals—not just their availability—determines whether academics improve. directly reflects Díaz’s finding that academic gains appear only with high-quality, nutrient-dense breakfasts and his warning that low-nutrition menus do not make students “smarter.” Therefore, B is the correct answer.