Ace this Digital SAT Reading and Writing Practice with Cross-Text Connection Questions and Solutions
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Cross-text connection questions require you to compare the views expressed in two separate passages.
How to Answer Cross-Text Connection Questions on the Digital SAT Reading and Writing
These include examples where the texts agree or disagree with each other and an answer, and where there is an underlined sentence that the answer relates the connection to, with the other text.
CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 1
Text 1 American sculptor Edmonia Lewis is best known for her sculptures that represent figures from history and mythology, such as The Death of Cleopatra and Hagar. Although Lewis sculpted other subjects, her career as a sculptor is best represented by the works in which she depicted these historical and mythical themes.
Text 2 Art historians have typically ignored the many portrait busts Edmonia Lewis created. Lewis likely carved these busts (sculptures of a person’s head) frequently throughout her long career. She is known for her sculptures that represent historical figures, but Lewis likely supported herself financially by carving portrait busts for acquaintances who paid her to represent their features. Thus, Lewis’s portrait busts are a central aspect of her career as a sculptor.
Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
Choose 1 answer:
- A Sculpting representations of historical figures was a short-lived trend.
- B Lewis’s works are varied in the subjects they depict.
- C The Death of Cleopatra is Lewis’s most famous piece.
- D Lewis’s portrait busts have overshadowed her other work.
HOW TO ANSWER CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 1
Text 2 agrees or extends text 1 – it also confirms the assertion in B
Official explanation:
- Text 1: Lewis is best known for her historical and mythical sculptures, which represent her career well.
- Text 2: Lewis carved many portrait busts, which have been mostly ignored by art historians. She also sculpted historical figures, but she probably made more money from the busts. The busts are a central part of her career.
- The question asks us to identify something that both authors would agree on. Can you identify any shared ideas between the texts?
- While the authors disagree about which aspect of Lewis’s work is more central or representative of her career, they agree that she sculpted a variety of subjects, including historical figures and portrait busts.
CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 2
Text 1 Most scientists agree that the moon was likely formed after a collision between Earth and a large planet named Theia. This collision likely created a huge debris field, made up of material from both Earth and Theia. Based on models of this event, scientists believe that the moon was formed from this debris over the course of thousands of years.
Text 2 Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center used a computer to model how the moon could have formed. Although simulations of the moon’s formation have been done in the past, the team from NASA ran simulations that were much more detailed. They found that the formation of the moon was likely not a slow process that took many years. Instead, it’s probable that the moon’s formation happened immediately after impact, taking just a few hours.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the evidence for the formation of the moon?
Choose 1 answer:
- A The author of Text 1 believes that the moon formed more slowly than the author of Text 2 believes.
- B The author of Text 1 suggests there is more evidence confirming the existence of Theia than the author of Text 2 suggests.
- C The author of Text 1 claims that the moon’s surface is more similar to Earth’s surface than the author of Text 2 claims.
- D The author of Text 1 argues that the formation of the moon occurred much earlier than the author of Text 2 argues.
HOW TO ANSWER CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 2
Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the evidence for the formation of the moon?
- over the course of thousands of years.
- was likely not a slow process that took many years
- Text 1: The moon was formed from debris left over from a collision between Earth and Theia. This formation took thousands of years.
- Text 2: New simulations suggest that the moon formed in just a few hours.
- The question asks us to identify a difference in how the authors of both texts view the evidence for the formation of the moon. Can you spot any discrepancies between the texts?
- The most obvious discrepancy between the texts is the speed of the moon’s formation. Text 1 claims that it took thousands of years, while Text 2 claims that it took just a few hours.
CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 3
Text 1 Italian painters in the 1500s rarely depicted themselves in their work. Even more rare were self-portrait paintings that portrayed the artist as a painter. At the time, painting was not yet respected as a profession, so painters mostly chose to emphasize other qualities in their self-portraits, like their intellect or social status. In the city of Bologna, the first artist to depict themself painting was a man named Annibale Carracci. A painting of his from around 1585 shows Carracci in front of an easel holding a palette.
Text 2 In their self-portraits, Bolognese artists typically avoided referring to the act of painting until the mid-1600s. However, Lavinia Fontana’s 1577 painting, Self-Portrait at the Keyboard, stands out as the earliest example of such a work by an artist from Bologna. Although the artist is depicted playing music, in the background, one can spot a painting easel by a window.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?
Choose 1 answer:
- A Self-Portrait at the Keyboard was painted earlier than Carracci’s painting and also refers to the artist’s craft.
- B Carracci and Fontana were among the most well-respected painters in Bologna at the time.
- C Fontana likely inspired the reference to an easel and palette in Carracci’s painting.
- D The depiction of Fontana in Self-Portrait at the Keyboard was intended to underscore the artist’s creativity.
HOW TO ANSWER CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 3
- Text 1: Italian painters in the 1500s rarely showed themselves painting in their self-portraits, because painting was not a respected profession. Carracci was the first Bolognese artist to do so in 1585.
- Text 2: Bolognese painters avoided showing themselves as painters in their self-portraits. But Fontana’s 1577 painting was an exception, as it hinted at her painting easel in the background.
- The question asks us how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the claim in Text 1 that Carracci was the first Bolognese artist to depict himself painting. Can you identify any contradictions or disagreements between the texts?
- The texts disagree on who was the first Bolognese artist to depict themselves painting, or at least referring to their craft, in their self-portraits. Text 1 claims it was Carracci in 1585, while Text 2 implies it was Fontana in 1577.
CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 4
Text 1 Movies based on books are never as good as the original stories. They often change important details or leave out essential parts of the plot. The directors and actors rarely capture the true spirit of the characters or the themes. Reading a book is a much more immersive and rewarding experience than watching a movie.
Text 2 Movies based on books are a great way to introduce new audiences to the world of literature. They can spark interest in the original source material and encourage people to read more. The directors and actors also bring their own creativity and interpretation to the stories; in the same way that authors use prose, filmmakers use visual and audio elements to express the tone and style of the narratives. So while a movie adaptation may stray from its source material, it often offers a fresh and enriching artistic interpretation of the original narrative.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claims of the author of Text 1?
Choose 1 answer:
- A By arguing that a movie adaptation can still be faithful to the book even if it makes some changes to the plot or the characters
- B By explaining that it’s much harder to make a movie based on a book than to write a book
- C By insisting that movies based on books are not meant to duplicate the books but to complement them
- D By admitting that most fans of movies based on books don’t appreciate the depth and complexity of the books
HOW TO ANSWER CROSS-TEXT CONNECTION QUESTION 4
Be careful, this one is the ‘best’ answer, rather than the only relevant answer.
Although choice A is not correct, it’s assertion is relevant to the main point of the ‘texts’, even if not directly to text 2. So it is wrong but easily identified as a candidate for the correct answer.
- Text 1: Movies based on books are never as good as the books. They change the stories and fail to capture the same feeling. Reading a book is more immersive and rewarding than watching a movie.
- Text 2: Movies based on books can spark interest in the books and encourage reading. The directors and actors also bring their own creativity and interpretation to the stories, using visual and audio elements to express the tone and style of the narratives. Movies based on books don’t replace books: they add to and enrich the original story.
- The question asks us how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the claims of the author of Text 1. Can you identify any similarities or differences between the texts?
- The texts have different views on the value and quality of movies based on books. Text 1 claims that movies based on books are never as good as the books, while Text 2 challenges this claim by arguing that movies based on books can be a great way to introduce new audiences to literature and offer a fresh and enriching artistic interpretation of the original narratives.
- We need to look for an answer choice that reflects this difference, and that is consistent with the evidence and reasoning in Text 2.
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Solutions to Cross-Text Connections
1
- (Choice A, Incorrect) This choice isn’t supported by the texts. Neither text suggests that sculpting historical figures was a trend that faded quickly.
- (Choice B, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. Author 1 acknowledges that Lewis sculpted other subjects besides historical and mythical figures, suggesting a variety of subjects depicted. Author 2 mentions that Lewis carved portrait busts as well as historical sculptures, which also implies variation among Lewis’s subjects.
- (Choice C, Incorrect) This choice isn’t supported by the texts. Neither text explicitly states that The Death of Cleopatra is Lewis’s most famous piece. Author 1 mentions it as one example of her historical works, but does not single it out as being more important or influential than Hagar. Author 2 does not mention it at all, focusing instead on her portrait busts.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This choice isn’t supported by the texts. Neither text suggests that Lewis’s portrait busts have received more attention or appreciation than her other work. Author 1 briefly mentions her “other works”, but mostly focuses on her historical and mythical works. Author 2 states that art historians have typically ignored her portrait busts, which suggests that they haven’t overshadowed her other work.
2
- (Choice A, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. Text 1 states that the moon was formed from the debris “over the course of thousands of years”, while Text 2 states that the moon’s formation happened “immediately after impact, taking just a few hours”. This shows a clear difference in how the authors view the evidence for the speed of the moon’s formation.
- (Choice B, Incorrect) The texts don’t support this choice. While Theia isn’t mentioned in Text 2, neither text describes or disputes evidence of Theia’s existence.
- (Choice C, Incorrect) The texts don’t support this choice. Neither text makes any claims about the similarity or difference between the moon’s surface and Earth’s surface.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This choice misreads both texts. While Text 2 suggests that the moon formed over “just a few hours” and Text 1 says it took “thousands of years”, neither one mentions when that formation occurred.
3
- (Choice A, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. The author of Text 2 states that Fontana’s painting, which depicts a painting easel in the background, was made in 1577, eight years before Carracci’s painting. Therefore, they might argue that Caracci was not “the first artist” to depict themself as a painter.
- (Choice B, Incorrect) The texts don’t support this choice. Neither text mentions the reputation or status of either Carracci or Fontana.
- (Choice C, Incorrect) .
- The texts don’t support this choice. The author of Text 2 does not suggest any inspirational relationship between Fontana and Carracci. The author of Text 2 is concerned with showing that Fontana’s painting is the earliest example of an artist referring to painting in their self-portrait, but makes no mention of her influence on others.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This choice isn’t supported by the texts. The author of Text 2 does not comment on the intention or meaning of Fontana’s self-depiction in Self-Portrait at the Keyboard. This choice also holds little connection to the underlined claim.
4
- (Choice A, Incorrect) This choice misreads Text 2. Text 2 doesn’t care about staying true to the book. It argues that a film adaptation “may stray from its source material”, but that in exchange, it can result in a “fresh and enriching” adaptation of the original story.
- (Choice B, Incorrect) This choice misreads both texts. Neither text makes an argument about the difficulty of producing either films or books, nor do they compare the difficulties of producing a book to adapting it for the screen.
- (Choice C, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. Text 2 argues that movie adaptations of books are not intended to duplicate the book, but to complement them: “[film adaptations] can spark interest in the original source material and encourage people to read more”. It argues that books and movies are two different art forms that can inform each other, in contrast to Text 1’s argument that a movie adaptation of a book can never be “as good as the original [story]”.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This choice misreads both texts. Neither Text 1 nor Text 2 suggests that fans of movie adaptations don’t appreciate the original books.
FAQ: Cross-Text Connection SAT Questions
Q1: What are cross-text connections?
Cross-text connections refer to meaningful links between two related passages (often called paired passages or two related texts) in the SAT Reading and Writing section. These questions test your ability to analyze the relationship between the two texts, such as similarities and differences, contrasting perspectives, and how the authors present their viewpoints.
Q2: What does the SAT test contain regarding cross-text connections?
The test contains sets of reading and writing practice questions involving paired passages labeled Text 1 and Text 2. Each text presents a different perspective or piece of information about the same topic. The questions require you to analyze main ideas, key ideas, craft and structure, and how Text 2 describes or likely says something about Text 1.
Q3: How are questions about cross-text connections typically asked?
Common questions include:
- What is the main idea presented in Text 1?
- How would the author of Text 2 likely respond to the underlined portion of Text 1?
- What relationship or similarities and differences exist between the two passages?
- What would Text 2 most likely say about an idea introduced in Text 1?
- Which contrasting perspectives do the texts offer?
Q4: What should I focus on when answering these questions?
Focus on:
- Understanding the viewpoint and craft and structure of each passage.
- Identifying the main idea and how it is presented in Text 1 and described in Text 2.
- Determining whether the passages agree, disagree, or offer contrasting perspectives.
- Reading the reading and writing practice questions with detailed explanations to guide your thinking.
- Paying attention to the underlined portion of text 1 if specified.
Q5: How can I improve my SAT score in the reading and writing section with cross-text connections?
Practice with reading and writing practice tests and practice questions with detailed explanations focused on paired passages. Analyze how two related texts present key ideas, assess the relationship between the two, and master evaluating likely describe and likely regard type questions.
Q6: What are the key skills needed for cross-text connections?
- Analytical reading of two passages or related texts.
- Comparing and contrasting to find similarities and differences.
- Understanding contrasting perspectives and key ideas.
- Recognizing the craft and structure in how authors present ideas.
- Answering sat questions that involve reasoning about the relationship between the two texts.
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