Question 67·Easy·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Telecommunications historian Ana Diaz writes that the first transatlantic telegraph cable to successfully transmit messages was laid in 1866 by Cyrus Field’s company. According to Diaz, this achievement finally provided a dependable electronic link between North America and Europe.
Text 2
Marine engineer Robert Mills notes that Field’s 1866 cable indeed proved durable, but he adds that an earlier cable completed in 1858 also carried messages across the Atlantic. Mills points out that Queen Victoria famously sent a greeting to U.S. President James Buchanan over the 1858 line, demonstrating that the cable—though it functioned for only a few weeks—predated Field’s lasting connection.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim in Text 1?
For cross-text questions asking how one author would respond to another, first pinpoint the specific claim in Text 1 (often signaled by strong words like “first,” “only,” or “best”). Then read Text 2 looking for where the second author agrees, adds a condition, or contradicts that claim—pay close attention to contrasting words like “but,” “however,” and to dates or other factual details that qualify the earlier statement. Finally, choose the option that best captures that relationship, ignoring choices that bring in ideas or facts that do not appear in either text.
Hints
Focus on the main claim in Text 1
Underline what Diaz says about Field’s 1866 cable in Text 1—especially the words around “first” and “successfully transmit messages.” What is she claiming about 1866 compared to earlier attempts?
Look for agreement or disagreement in Text 2
In Text 2, find what Mills says about Field’s 1866 cable, and then notice any information he adds about earlier cables. Does his description fully support, or partly challenge, Diaz’s claim?
Connect Mills’s point to the choices
Ask: If Mills were talking back to Diaz, what key correction or addition would he make about the history of transatlantic cables? Pick the option that captures that correction, not one that brings in new topics (like other oceans or storms).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the key claim in Text 1
Text 1 (Diaz) says that “the first transatlantic telegraph cable to successfully transmit messages was laid in 1866 by Cyrus Field’s company.”
So Diaz’s central claim is: Field’s 1866 cable was the first successful message-transmitting cable across the Atlantic.
See how Text 2 modifies or challenges that claim
Text 2 (Mills) agrees that the 1866 cable was durable, but he also says “an earlier cable completed in 1858 also carried messages across the Atlantic.” He further says this 1858 cable “predated Field’s lasting connection.”
This means Mills adds information that undercuts the idea that Field’s cable was the first to transmit messages.
Decide how the author of Text 2 would respond
Since Mills says a cable in 1858 already carried messages across the Atlantic and came before 1866, he would not fully accept Diaz’s description of Field’s cable as the first successful message-transmitting cable.
Instead, his response would emphasize that another cable had successfully transmitted messages earlier.
Match this response to the best answer choice
We need the answer that shows Mills’s likely response: that an earlier cable had already done what Diaz calls a “first.”
Choice C says: “An 1858 cable transmitted messages across the Atlantic before Field’s 1866 cable, so Field’s cable was not the first.” This directly reflects Mills’s point, so C is correct.