Question 34·Easy·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
For nutritionist Dr. Laila Khan, the success of an urban community garden can be measured in the bags of spinach and tomatoes neighbors carry home each week. In neighborhoods where grocery stores stock mostly packaged food, harvest days at the garden provide residents with a reliable supply of fresh, affordable produce.
Text 2
City planner Mateo Ruiz notes that community gardens do more than beautify vacant lots; they directly address food access. He points out that when a garden opens, nearby families often begin cooking with the lettuce, herbs, and peppers they helped grow, ingredients that were previously hard to find close to home.
Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
For cross-text agreement questions, quickly summarize each text in a short phrase (for example, “gardens provide fresh food” or “gardens change how families cook”). Then look for the overlapping idea that clearly appears in both. Eliminate any answer that introduces new topics (like money, property values, or training) or that is supported by only one text. Finally, choose the option that restates the shared point in clear, neutral language without exaggeration or extra claims.
Hints
Look for the common idea
First, ask yourself: what is one idea that appears in both Text 1 and Text 2, not just in one of them?
Focus on what the gardens provide
In each text, pay attention to what the community gardens are doing for the people who live nearby. What do neighbors or families get or use from the gardens?
Eliminate options not supported by both texts
Cross out any answer choices that mention government money, property values, or special training, and check whether those topics are actually discussed in both texts.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks what both authors would most likely agree with. That means you must find an idea that appears in both Text 1 and Text 2, not just one of them.
Identify the main point of Text 1
In Text 1, Dr. Khan measures the success of an urban community garden by "bags of spinach and tomatoes neighbors carry home" and says harvest days provide a "reliable supply of fresh, affordable produce." The key idea is that neighbors are getting fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden.
Identify the main point of Text 2
In Text 2, Mateo Ruiz says community gardens "directly address food access" and that nearby families begin cooking with "lettuce, herbs, and peppers they helped grow," ingredients that used to be hard to find nearby. The key idea is that families gain access to and use these fresh ingredients from the garden.
Find the overlap and match it to an answer choice
Both texts stress that local residents/families obtain and use fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the community garden. The answer choice that states this shared idea is: D) Community gardens supply local residents with fresh produce.