Question 72·Hard·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
After gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, field biologist William Ripple and colleagues observed that browsing pressure on young willow and aspen near streams diminished markedly. They argued that elk, wary of the newly present predator, spent less time foraging in open river valleys, allowing saplings to mature into dense stands that stabilized streambanks. In a 2004 article, Ripple suggested that this vegetation recovery reduced erosion and "helped rivers reclaim their pre-1900 meanders."
Text 2
Geomorphologist Ellen Wohl agrees that predator–prey dynamics can influence vegetation but contends that changes to channel shape claimed for Yellowstone are overstated. Using aerial photographs from 1930 through 2020, Wohl found no systematic shift toward greater sinuosity in reaches adjacent to recovering willow. She notes that river morphology in the park is largely governed by snowmelt-driven discharge and sediment supply—factors unaffected by wolf predation—and that beaver dams, not tree roots, are the primary agents of bank stabilization in these systems.
Which choice best describes how Text 2 relates to Text 1?
For cross-text connection questions, first summarize each passage in one sentence, then ask: does the second text mostly support, extend, qualify, or challenge the first? Pay attention to signal words like “agrees,” “but,” “however,” and any evidence presented (e.g., data, historical records) to see exactly what is being agreed with and what is being challenged. Finally, eliminate choices that get even one part of that relationship wrong (such as saying the second text disagrees with something it clearly accepts, or says it agrees with a claim it explicitly questions), and choose the option that matches both the point of agreement and the point of disagreement.
Hints
First, separate the levels of claim in Text 1
In Text 1, distinguish between what Ripple says about vegetation (willow/aspen) and what he says about the rivers themselves. What is the smaller-scale effect, and what is the larger-scale conclusion?
Look for explicit agreement in Text 2
In Text 2, find the sentence that uses the verb “agrees”. What exactly does Wohl agree with about predator–prey dynamics and vegetation?
Now look for the disagreement
Still in Text 2, note the phrase that starts with “but contends…” and the evidence from aerial photographs. What aspect of Ripple’s claim is she saying is “overstated”?
Match the pattern: partial agreement plus critique
You should find that Text 2 both supports one part of Text 1 and challenges another. Look for the answer choice that shows agreement on one component and disagreement about the broader conclusion or effect.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify Text 1’s main claims
Read Text 1 and separate its ideas into levels:
- First, local ecological effect: after wolves return, elk browse less near streams, so young willow and aspen grow back and stabilize banks.
- Second, larger geomorphic conclusion: Ripple claims this vegetation recovery reduced erosion and “helped rivers reclaim their pre-1900 meanders”—that is, it changed the river channel shape over time.
You will need both parts (vegetation recovery and river-shape change) in mind when you compare to Text 2.
Identify what Text 2 agrees with
Now look at the beginning of Text 2: “Geomorphologist Ellen Wohl agrees that predator–prey dynamics can influence vegetation …”.
This sentence shows that Wohl accepts the basic idea that predators (wolves) can change herbivore behavior (elk), which can, in turn, influence vegetation (willow and aspen recovery). So on the vegetation/predator–prey point, Text 2 is not attacking Text 1; it is corroborating that part.
Identify what Text 2 disagrees with
Next, see where Text 2 pushes back: “but contends that changes to channel shape claimed for Yellowstone are overstated.” Wohl’s evidence:
- Using aerial photos from 1930–2020, she “found no systematic shift toward greater sinuosity” near recovering willow.
- She says river morphology is mainly controlled by snowmelt-driven discharge and sediment supply, and that beaver dams, not tree roots, are the primary agents of bank stabilization.
So she is directly questioning the claim that vegetation recovery led rivers to ‘reclaim their pre-1900 meanders.’ She agrees on vegetation effects but disputes the big geomorphic conclusion drawn from them.
Match this mixed relationship to the answer choices
Now compare this pattern—agreement on vegetation effects, disagreement on the claimed river-shape change and its cause—to the choices:
- Eliminate any choice that says Text 2 rejects predator–prey effects on vegetation (that contradicts “agrees that predator–prey dynamics can influence vegetation”).
- Eliminate any choice that says Text 2 accepts that channel morphology changed in the way Ripple claimed; Wohl calls those changes “overstated” and finds no systematic shift.
- Eliminate any choice that says Text 2 just adds evidence to strengthen Ripple’s geomorphic claim; instead, she uses data to challenge the larger conclusion.
The only choice that correctly captures both the agreement on vegetation recovery and the disagreement about the geomorphic conclusion is: “Text 2 corroborates Text 1’s claim about vegetation recovery but disputes the broader geomorphic conclusion drawn from that recovery.”