Question 42·Hard·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Historian Mary Chen argues that the wave of rural‐to‐urban migration in the mid-nineteenth century was driven chiefly by repeated crop failures that pushed farm families off the land. Citing letters and diary entries that describe dwindling harvests and food shortages, Chen concludes that the promise of urban wages played only a secondary role; most migrants, she writes, "left out of desperation, not ambition."
Text 2
Economist David Lewis, examining tax rolls and factory payrolls from the same period, reaches a different verdict. According to his analysis, average factory wages rose nearly 40 percent between 1840 and 1850, while agricultural yields remained largely stable. Newspaper advertisements trumpeting "unprecedented" urban earnings appeared in dozens of rural weeklies. Lewis contends that "the allure of higher pay, not failed harvests, supplied the principal motive" for rural households to relocate.
Based on the texts, how would Lewis (Text 2) most likely evaluate Chen’s conclusion in Text 1?
For cross-text evaluation questions, first summarize each author’s main claim in one short sentence, then note whether they agree or disagree and on what specific point (cause, effect, importance). Next, imagine one author directly responding to the other—would they praise, partially agree, or reject the other’s conclusion, and why? Finally, eliminate any choices that claim agreement where there is clear disagreement or that add ideas not found in either text, and select the option that best matches your predicted response.
Hints
Start with each author’s main claim
Reread the final sentence of each text; those sentences usually contain the author’s overall conclusion about what mainly caused the migration.
Compare what each author thinks was the primary cause
Ask: According to Chen, what is the main reason families moved? According to Lewis, what is the main reason? Pay attention to whether each author treats wages as primary or secondary.
Imagine Lewis talking directly to Chen
If Lewis believes something different is the main motive than what Chen claims, what would he likely say about her explanation? Would he praise it, partially agree, or say she is overemphasizing the wrong factor?
Eliminate choices that add new ideas
Cross out any answer that brings in topics not mentioned in either text (for example, specific discussions of immigration) or that wrongly suggests they agree.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify Chen’s main conclusion in Text 1
Look at the end of Text 1: Chen argues that the wave of rural-to-urban migration was driven chiefly by repeated crop failures that pushed families off the land. She then says the promise of urban wages played only a secondary role and that most migrants left 'out of desperation, not ambition.' So for Chen:
- Primary cause: crop failures / desperation
- Secondary cause: urban wages / ambition
Identify Lewis’s main conclusion in Text 2
Now read Text 2 carefully, especially its closing sentence. Lewis cites rising factory wages (up nearly 40 percent), stable agricultural yields, and newspaper ads promising big earnings. He concludes that 'the allure of higher pay, not failed harvests, supplied the principal motive' for migration. So for Lewis:
- Primary cause: higher urban wages (economic incentives)
- Rejected cause: failed harvests as the main driver
Decide how Lewis would respond to Chen’s conclusion
Compare the two positions:
- Chen: Crop failure is the chief cause; wages are only secondary.
- Lewis: Higher pay is the chief cause; failed harvests are not the main driver.
So Lewis would disagree with Chen's ranking of causes. Since his evidence and conclusion strongly emphasize wages, he would say that Chen does not give enough importance to the economic pull of urban wages and overemphasizes crop failures.
Match your prediction to the answer choices
Now look for the choice that says Lewis thinks Chen downplays or underestimates the role of wages and economic incentives.
- Choice A is wrong because Chen does not identify rising wages as decisive at all; she calls them secondary.
- Choice B is wrong because Lewis does not think crop failure is essentially correct as the main cause.
- Choice D is wrong because neither text discusses immigration as the key issue.
The only choice that matches Lewis’s likely evaluation is C) He would contend that Chen underestimates the economic incentives that drew rural families to the cities.