A question about a difference between two texts tests how the authors view the same topic. Read the question to find the exact topic to compare, then put each author's main point about it in a few words. Ask where their views differ, and use each author's reason to explain that difference. Check each half against its own text, because a choice can sound reasonable while giving an author a view the text doesn't support.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look at the last sentence of Text 1 for Vega's reason for using categories.
- Hint 2
In Text 2, connect Zhang's examples to his warning about fixed types. How does that warning relate to Vega's reason for using categories?
Step-by-step
Compare the views on categories
Step 1Find Vega's claim
Start with categorizing urban parks in the question, which asks us to compare how the authors view grouping parks by type. Why does Vega favor categories? Her three types serve different social functions, and her framework provides the clearest lens for judging success, so she uses categories to understand parks' purposes.
- Step 2
Follow Zhang's reason
Why does Zhang warn against fixed types? Parks can simultaneously host soccer leagues, protect wetlands, and display elaborate flower beds, so one park can serve the purposes of all three groups. Placing it in one fixed type can hide the mix of uses that makes it valuable. His concern is that a park's functions can overlap rather than stay separate.
- Step 3
Name where their views differ
Their views differ on whether categories explain parks or hide their mix of uses. The phrase most effective way matches Vega's claim that her model gives the clearest view. Oversimplifies means leaving out important details, which fits Zhang's warning about parks that serve several purposes at once. Choice D.