Question 70·Easy·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Electric cars were introduced into Country Z’s market in the late 1990s, but for over a decade sales remained modest. Limited charging stations and high battery prices kept most drivers from switching. Around 2010, however, expansion of the national charging network made owning an electric car far more practical, and registrations began to climb quickly.
Text 2
Although electric vehicles existed before 2010, they were too expensive for many consumers in Country Z. Beginning in 2010, the government offered generous purchase rebates and tax breaks while battery manufacturers simultaneously lowered prices. These changes triggered a surge in electric-car purchases over the next few years.
Based on the texts, the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?
For cross-text agreement questions, first quickly summarize each passage in 1–2 short notes, focusing on timeline, cause-and-effect, or attitudes. Then ask: what do they have in common? Go through each answer choice and check it against both texts—if it doesn’t clearly match both, eliminate it. Pay close attention to extreme words like "always," "never," "dominant," or "well before," which often go beyond what the texts actually say.
Hints
Identify the type of agreement needed
Remember, the correct answer must be something that is supported by both Text 1 and Text 2. If an option contradicts even one text, eliminate it.
Track the timeline in each text
Underline or note what each text says about electric cars before 2010 and what happens around or after 2010. Focus on how sales or purchases change over time.
Watch out for extreme or absolute language
Look for words like "already dominant," "never," or "well before." Ask yourself: does either text actually say something that strong, or do these words exaggerate what is stated?
Match the overlapping idea
After you summarize each text in a sentence, ask: what key idea about electric-car adoption do they both describe in a similar way? Then pick the option that best captures that shared idea.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the task
You are asked what the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would both agree with. That means the correct choice must match both passages; if it disagrees with either one, it is wrong.
Pull out the key timeline from Text 1
From Text 1:
- Electric cars were introduced in the late 1990s.
- For over a decade, sales were modest (low).
- Around 2010, expansion of the charging network made owning an electric car more practical.
- After that, registrations began to climb quickly.
So Text 1 shows: slow sales before 2010, then rapid growth starting around 2010.
Pull out the key timeline from Text 2
From Text 2:
- Electric vehicles existed before 2010, but were too expensive for many.
- Beginning in 2010, the government added rebates and tax breaks, and battery prices went down.
- These changes caused a surge (big jump) in purchases over the next few years.
So Text 2 also shows: limited buying before 2010, then a big increase after 2010.
Find the shared idea
Both texts agree on this pattern:
- Before 2010: electric cars existed but were not widely adopted (sales modest, too expensive, not practical).
- Starting around/beginning in 2010: conditions changed (better charging network, subsidies, lower battery prices), causing rapid growth or a surge in ownership.
So the correct answer must reflect this shared pattern.
Test each answer against both texts and choose
Check each option:
- A) Says electric cars were already dominant by 2000, but Text 1 says sales stayed modest for over a decade after the late 1990s. This clearly conflicts with Text 1.
- B) Says high battery prices never were a serious obstacle, but both texts say high prices did keep people from buying before 2010.
- D) Says there was an extensive charging network well before subsidies, but Text 1 says charging expanded around 2010, and Text 2 says subsidies began in 2010—they happened at about the same time, not “well before.”
Only C) The most significant growth in electric-car ownership in Country Z occurred after 2010. matches both texts’ description of a surge in registrations/purchases starting around 2010. Therefore, C is correct.