Question 6·Hard·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1 Public attention tends to fixate on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, inspiring efforts to skim debris from open water. Advocates of these programs argue that open-ocean cleanup is the most effective way to reduce ocean plastic quickly, since these devices can remove large, visible accumulations within months, whereas building out waste systems and shifting consumer behavior could take years.
Text 2 A systems analysis tracking the movement of plastic through watersheds and oceans reports that most new plastic enters the sea via a relatively small number of rivers and remains concentrated near coasts before dispersing. The researchers note that offshore cleanup devices primarily capture large, floating debris in gyres but miss most microplastics and cannot match the ongoing rate of input. Their modeling indicates that rapidly curbing river-borne inflows and improving waste management in high-leakage regions would lead to faster and larger reductions in total ocean plastic than offshore cleanup alone.
Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely respond to the claim in the underlined portion of Text 1?
For cross-text questions, first underline the key claim or idea in the referenced part of Text 1 (here, that open-ocean cleanup is the fastest, most effective solution). Then, in Text 2, quickly identify the author’s main point and any direct comparisons (look for words like “faster,” “larger reductions,” “than,” or “instead”). Decide whether Text 2 supports, qualifies, or opposes Text 1’s claim, and with what reasoning. Finally, choose the answer that captures both the stance (agree/disagree) and the specific evidence or mechanism mentioned in Text 2, and eliminate choices that add new claims not found in either text or that flip the relationship (turning disagreement into agreement or vice versa).
Hints
Clarify the claim in Text 1
Reread the underlined sentence in Text 1. What is it saying about how fast and effective open-ocean cleanup is compared with other possible approaches?
Locate the comparison in Text 2
In Text 2, find the sentence that mentions “faster and larger reductions” in total ocean plastic. What actions do the researchers say would achieve those reductions?
Decide if Text 2 agrees or disagrees
Ask yourself: does Text 2 support the idea that open-ocean cleanup is the best and quickest solution, or does it suggest a different strategy would work better and faster? Eliminate any choices that have the researchers clearly agreeing with Text 1’s claim.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the key claim in Text 1
Focus on the underlined portion of Text 1: “open-ocean cleanup is the most effective way to reduce ocean plastic quickly.” This is a strong claim that:
- Open-ocean cleanup is most effective (better than other methods).
- It is the best way to reduce ocean plastic quickly.
Your job is to decide how the researchers in Text 2 would respond to this specific claim.
Summarize the main findings in Text 2
Now look at what Text 2 actually says:
- Most new plastic enters the sea via a relatively small number of rivers.
- Plastic stays near coasts before spreading out.
- Offshore cleanup devices mainly catch large, floating debris in gyres.
- They miss most microplastics and cannot match the ongoing rate of input.
- The modeling shows that rapidly reducing river inflows and improving waste management would lead to faster and larger reductions in total ocean plastic than offshore cleanup alone.
So Text 2 clearly contrasts offshore cleanup with river/waste interventions and directly compares speed and overall impact.
Determine how Text 2 responds to Text 1’s claim
Compare the ideas:
- Text 1: open-ocean cleanup is the most effective and quickest way.
- Text 2: stopping plastic at rivers and through waste systems gives faster and larger reductions than offshore cleanup alone, which also misses most microplastics and can’t keep up with new plastic.
So the researchers in Text 2 would disagree with the idea that open-ocean cleanup is the best and fastest method. Instead, they argue another approach (river + waste management) is better and faster overall.
Match this response to the answer choices
Now pick the answer that best captures that disagreement and alternative solution:
- The correct choice must show that the researchers think another method (not open-ocean cleanup) would reduce ocean plastic more quickly and more substantially, based on river inputs and waste systems.
Correct Answer: By arguing that cutting off inputs from rivers and improving waste systems would reduce ocean plastic more quickly and substantially than relying on open-ocean cleanup.
This matches Text 2’s modeling result: targeting rivers and waste management leads to faster and larger reductions than offshore cleanup alone, directly challenging the claim in Text 1.