Question 97·Easy·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Historians frequently overlook local history exhibits curated by small community museums, preferring sweeping narratives that promise national significance. Within this already neglected category, projects focused on immigrant neighborhoods are dismissed most often, as if their stories were too narrow to matter. This disregard persists even when such exhibits are carefully researched and thoughtfully presented.
Text 2
In 2019, the Riverbend Cultural Center created Market Street Voices, an exhibit built around oral histories from the city’s Vietnamese and Somali shopkeepers. The recorded interviews, labels, and photographs were woven together with care, drawing large crowds of residents. Yet despite its success with visitors, it received almost no attention from university historians in the state.
Based on the two texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely regard the situation presented in the bolded sentence in Text 2?
For cross-text connections, restate Text 1’s main claim about a group’s typical behavior, then see whether Text 2 provides an example that fits or contradicts that pattern. Choose the option that matches both the predicted reaction (surprised vs. unsurprised) and the specific reason given in Text 1, and eliminate choices that introduce new claims not supported by the text.
Hints
Focus on the word “Yet” in Text 2
The bolded sentence contrasts public success with historians’ lack of attention. What is being contrasted?
Find Text 1’s generalization about historians
In Text 1, what kinds of exhibits do historians often overlook, and which kind is dismissed most often?
Notice what Text 1 says about careful research
Does Text 1 suggest that careful, thoughtful exhibits reliably get attention—or that they can be ignored anyway?
Avoid choices that add new reasons
Eliminate options that rely on claims Text 1 never mentions (for example, that popularity repels scholars or that certain sources aren’t scholarly).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the bolded sentence in Text 2 says
The bolded sentence says that despite the exhibit’s success with visitors, it received almost no attention from university historians.
Summarize Text 1’s claim about historians
Text 1 argues that historians often overlook local museum exhibits, and that exhibits focused on immigrant neighborhoods are dismissed most often, even when they are carefully researched and thoughtfully presented.
Match Text 2 to the pattern in Text 1
Text 2 describes a carefully assembled, local exhibit about immigrant communities that draws crowds, yet is still ignored by academic historians—exactly the type of neglect Text 1 criticizes.
Select the choice that reflects Text 1’s attitude
Therefore, the author of Text 1 would see the situation as predictable: As unsurprising, because historians favor broad national stories and often dismiss local exhibits about immigrant neighborhoods.