Question ID 97e5bf55

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Text 1 states that Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious
because he had a distinct style in his other plays. Text 2 states that scholars generally agree “on the basis of
style” that Fletcher wrote most of the three middle acts. Both texts imply that Fletcher’s writing has a unique,
readily identi able style that can be used to distinguish his work from others.

Choice B is incorrect. While Text 1 refers to the women in Massinger plays, neither text compares the women of
Fletcher’s plays to the women of Massinger’s plays. Text 2 doesn’t mention Massinger at all. Choice C is
incorrect. Text 1 states that Sykes disputed that Shakespeare coauthored the play, and implied that it was
coauthored by Fletcher and Massinger instead. Sykes, therefore, would disagree that The Two Noble Kinsmen
belongs in a Shakespeare compilation. Choice D is incorrect. Text 1 doesn’t suggest that Massinger was inspired
by Shakespeare, and Text 2 doesn’t mention Massinger at all.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 105ea6de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The author of Text 2 acknowledges that nanohybrids may be more toxic than their
constituent parts, but also provides an example of a nanohybrid that has reduced toxicity compared to its
components: silicon dioxide and zinc oxide together have all the bene ts of zinc oxide nanoparticles without
any of the DNA harm zinc oxide has on its own.

Choice A is incorrect. While the author of Text 2 gives an example of a nanohybrid that isn’t as toxic as its
constituent parts, they don’t argue that the bene t outweighs the risk. They merely argue that “the effects of
nanomaterial conjugation vary by case.” Choice B is incorrect. The author of Text 2 states that the effects of
nanomaterial conjugation “vary by case,” and that the attention that their potential toxicity has drawn is
warranted. If the situation in Text 1 weren’t representative, then there would be less attention to the potential
danger of these materials. Furthermore, neither passage suggests that researchers had expected that they could
predict the effects of nanomaterial conjugation. Choice C is incorrect. The author of Text 2 agrees that the
potential toxicity of nanohybrids “has drawn deserved attention,” so they aren’t denying the problem.
Question Dif culty: Hard
Question ID c4737d6a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Brierley et al.’s research directly challenges Wright’s claim that pastoralism turned
the Sahara into a desert, suggesting that, in a Sahara that turned arid 500 years earlier than previously thought,
pastoral practices may have actually “preserved vegetation” rather than depleting it.

Choice B is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research actually disputes the idea that any Neolithic peoples’ behaviors,
including pastoralism, could have contributed to the Sahara’s changing climate. In fact, their research implies
that the Neolithic peoples’ practices did not “exacerbate aridity” (i.e., make things worse), but may have slowed
environmental changes. Choice C is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research does not acknowledge that pastoralism
can have deleterious (i.e., negative) effects on a region’s vegetation and climate. It only describes one possible
bene cial effect: preserving vegetation through practices like selective grazing. Choice D is incorrect. Brierley et
al.’s research does not call for more research into factors that likely contributed to the deserti cation of the
Sahara region.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID a87c3925
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. Ishii and O’Mahony were trying to isolate the pure umami avor, while Jünger was
trying to recreate soy sauce, which has a mix of avors that includes umami. Accordingly, the broths from Text 1
are not described as having any soy sauce in them—just “shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed.” So they
probably don’t have as much of the dipeptides described in Text 2, which were found to be a key part of soy
sauce’s umami-ness and its saltiness.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text supports this. Neither text gets into the diets of people in the United States,
nor the diets of people in Japan. Choice B is incorrect. Neither text supports this. Text 2 does talk about the
molecular weights of chemical compounds, but there isn’t enough information provided about molecular
weights in Text 1 to make an inference about what the scientists in Text 1 would say. Choice C is incorrect.
Neither text supports this. Text 1 brie y mentions that soy sauce is “made from fermented soybeans,” but it never
claims that fermentation is responsible for its avor in any way. And Text 2 never mentions fermentation at all.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 7bf79a90
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about microbes with which Fierer’s team (Text 1)
and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree. Text 1 states that microbes usually thrive in very harsh
conditions, and so Fierer’s team was surprised when samples collected from an extremely cold and dry area of
Antarctica didn’t appear to contain any life. Fierer’s team says that though this doesn’t conclusively prove there
are no microbes in the area, it suggests that microbes would have a notably dif cult time surviving in the
environment. The author of Text 2 says it’s unlikely that there would be no microbes at all in the Antarctic study
site from which Fierer’s team retrieved soil samples and that there may have been hard-to-detect microbes in
the samples. However, the presence of only a few microbes in the Antarctic samples rather than the billions
found in a typical soil sample (which would presumably be much easier to detect) would illustrate conditions in
the Antarctic soil that make it dif cult for microbes to thrive. Since Fierer’s team says that the seeming absence
of microbes in the Antarctic samples suggests an unusually harsh environment and the author of Text 2 says
that even if there are a few undetectable microbes in the samples, the relatively tiny number of microbes would
also suggest an unusually harsh environment, then Fierer’s team and the author of Text 2 would most likely
agree that most microbes are unable to withstand the soil conditions at the Antarctic study site.

Choice A is incorrect. The samples taken by Fierer’s team were from an area of Antarctica that is described in
part as extremely dry, and these samples didn’t appear to have any life. Therefore, even though these samples
also came from an extremely cold area, Fierer’s team wouldn’t argue based on the evidence available that
microbes were better able to survive in dry conditions than in areas with harsh temperatures. Moreover, the
author of Text 2 says that microbes are found in virtually every environment on Earth but doesn’t compare dry
environments and harsh environments. Choice B is incorrect. Nothing in Text 1 indicates that another collection
of samples from the Antarctic study site might yield different results from the samples already taken by Fierer’s
team. The author of Text 2 does state that microbes are found in virtually every environment on Earth and
suggests that new technology may be better able to detect so few microbes in a soil sample, but the author of
Text 2 concludes that the unusual absence of microbes in the Antarctic samples is evidence of the harsh
Antarctic environment. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that the author of Text 2 thinks that another
sample drawn from that same harsh environment would yield a much higher number of microbes. Choice C is
incorrect. The author of Text 2 does speculate that there may have been so few microbes in the Antarctic
samples that current technology couldn’t detect them, but the author doesn’t speculate that this is due to the
size of the microbes. Moreover, nothing that Fierer’s team says suggests that they are speculating that their
samples might have microbes that are smaller than microbes in typical soil samples.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID d6c77ae5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it re ects how Putirka and Xu (Text 2) would likely characterize the
conclusion presented in Text 1. Text 1 discusses a study by Mark Holland and colleagues in which they detected
traces of lithium and sodium in the atmospheres of four white dwarf stars. The team claims that this supports
the idea that exoplanets with continental crusts like Earth’s once orbited these stars. Text 2 introduces Putirka
and Xu, who indicate that sodium and lithium are present in several different minerals and that some of those
minerals might exist in types of rock that are not found on Earth. Therefore, Putirka and Xu would likely
describe the conclusion in Text 1 as questionable because it does not consider that lithium and sodium are also
found in rocks that are not like Earth’s continental crust.

Choice A is incorrect because the texts do not indicate how widely held any of the viewpoints described
are. Choice B is incorrect because neither text discusses how new this area of study is. Choice D is incorrect
because neither text discusses how likely lithium and sodium are to be detected by analyzing wavelengths of
light.
Question Dif culty: Hard
Question ID 8de51658
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Author 1 describes the puzzle that physicists still can’t solve: at a microscopic level,
the “laws of physics” suggest that we should be able to reverse processes that are not reversible at a macroscopic
level (and, maybe, turn back time!). The experiment con rmed that those processes are not reversible even on
the microscopic level, but it didn’t explain why. This supports Author 1’s point that physicists still don’t fully
understand how things work at a microscopic level—maybe the laws need to be revised.

Choice A is incorrect. We can’t infer that the author of Text 1 would respond this way to the experiment. Text 2
does name two of the physicists involved in the experiment, but it never suggests that they disagree on
anything. Choice C is incorrect. This is the opposite of what the experiment suggests. The experiment con rmed
that the macroscopic-level law (“these things can’t be reversed—like time”) was still true on the microscopic
level—meaning it supports the current understanding of physics at a macroscopic level. Choice D is incorrect.
We can’t infer that the author of Text 1 would respond this way to the experiment. Neither text makes this
distinction between laboratory ndings and the way the universe works in general.
Question Dif culty: Medium
Question ID e1befb41
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it characterizes how Maddux would most likely respond to the conclusion
Sharif reached after her research. Text 1 describes Sharif’s study of the bene ts of free time, saying that the
reported sense of satisfaction plateaued at two hours per day and began to decline at ve hours per day. Further
research led Sharif to conclude that time spent doing tasks she de nes as unproductive, such as watching TV or
playing games, correlated with a drop in life satisfaction. However, in Text 2 Maddux says that there is no
objective de nition of what constitutes productive behavior, giving the example that reading a book might be
considered productive by some but unproductive by others. It can be inferred that Maddux would also assert that
whether watching TV or playing games is productive or unproductive is a matter of subjective judgment. Thus,
Maddux would most likely caution against making an overly broad assumption, as there is no clear consensus in
distinguishing between productive and unproductive activities.
Choice A is incorrect because Maddux asserts that individuals have unique needs for life satisfaction: some may
want to spend that time productively, others unproductively, and what counts as productive is subjective.
Therefore, Maddux would likely not consider it universally true that free time is more likely to enhance life
satisfaction when it is spent productively. Choice B is incorrect because the study described in Text 1 concerns
whether free time contributes to life satisfaction, not whether productivity contributes to life satisfaction. The
dip in life satisfaction that Sharif claims to observe in Text 1 happens only after ve hours, and mainly if the
time is spent unproductively—that is, two hours of free time spent productively might increase life satisfaction
just as much as two hours spent unproductively. Choice D is incorrect because Maddux holds the opinion that
whether an activity is productive or unproductive is subjective and depends on the individual; therefore, he
would most likely claim that watching TV or playing games might be productive for some and unproductive for
others.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID f3c45b4f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. Text 2 states that the researchers used cosmogenic nuclide dating to "avoid the
potential for misdating" caused by the geology of Sterkfontein, which Text 1 describes as "challenging" and
unreliable.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text suggests that the A. africanus fossils have been "corrupted," but only that
traditional dating methods are dif cult in Sterkfontein because of oods and soil mixing where the fossils were
found. Nothing is implied to have compromised the fossils themselves. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
misreads Text 2. Text 2 agrees that stratigraphy and other methods are prone to error in the context of
Sterkfontein: there’s a "potential for misdating" when evaluating age based on soil layers and bones. Choice D is
incorrect. Text 2 does not state that cosmogenic nuclide dating is applied to the fossils directly but rather to the
breccia that surrounds them.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID f7c02e89
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it re ects how the author of Text 1 would most likely respond to Text 2
based on the information provided. Text 2 discusses how the inconsistent use of credits to identify the
contributors to video games can pose an obstacle to scholars of the medium, who rely on such credits to answer
questions about the medium’s development. Text 1 notes that in lm and television, on the other hand, credits
are used consistently and are valuable to researchers studying the cast and crew members in these mediums.
Since Text 1 asserts how the consistent use of credits bene ts scholars of lm and television, it can be inferred
that this text’s author would respond to the discussion in Text 2 by observing that the kind of problem faced by
scholars of video games—the inability to know who contributed to a particular production and how—is, in lm
and television studies, largely prevented by the widespread practice of credits in these mediums.

Choice A is incorrect. Although Text 1 discusses a method used by lm and television researchers—namely,
relying on credits to research the careers of cast and crew members—the author doesn’t explicitly recommend
that or any other method. Moreover, Text 1 states that lms and television shows themselves, not their
researchers, regularly use the method of listing credits. Choice B is incorrect. It can be inferred from Text 2 that
when video games do feature credits, they have essentially the same function as credits in lm and television—
namely, to identify the individuals who worked on a particular production. Therefore, it is unlikely that the
author of Text 1 would characterize video game credits as differing in purpose from lm and television
credits. Choice C is incorrect because, as Text 2 explains, credits are not consistently used in video games.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the author of Text 1 would argue that scholars of the medium discussed in this text—
video games—rely more heavily on credits than scholars of lm and television, two mediums where credits
consistently appear.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 82c05b34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. Both authors mention how consumer behaviors have shifted, and how this affects
different aspects of the music industry. Text 1 states that consumers enjoy purchasing “lived experiences,” and
that this in uences how organizers design music festivals. Text 2 states that consumers are using streaming
services more, and that this reduces album sales and increases the importance of live performances for
musicians.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text claims that consumers prefer streaming to festivals, or that these are
mutually exclusive options. Text 1 implies that festivals are popular and pro table, and Text 2 never suggests
that streaming services diminish the demand for live music. Choice B is incorrect. This choice misreads Text 1,
which identi es music festivals as just one example of a broader trend of purchasing “lived experiences.” Text 2
doesn’t mention growing interest in purchasing experiences, in the music industry or otherwise. Choice D is
incorrect. Neither text establishes a cause/effect relationship between the demand for festivals and the demand
for streaming platforms. Text 1 does not mention streaming platforms at all, and Text 2 does not imply that
streaming platforms bene t from the popularity of festivals.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID 84dbd633
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it describes how Hull’s team would most likely respond to the argument in
the underlined portion of Text 1, which asserts that volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps range led to changes in
the climate and caused the K-Pg mass extinction event. According to Text 2, although Hull’s team found that
activity in the Deccan Traps did indeed alter the climate before the K-Pg event, the team determined that the
climate had returned to normal before mass extinctions began. This nding and the observation that the K-Pg
extinctions closely align with the Chicxulub asteroid impact suggest that Hull’s team would likely dispute the
claim in the underlined portion of Text 1 and say that the climate changes caused by the Deccan Traps activity
were not the main cause of the extinctions.

Choice A is incorrect because Text 2 describes how Hull’s team found that the climate had recovered from the
changes brought about by the Deccan Traps activity before the K-Pg event occurred, which suggests that Hull’s
team would disagree that the Deccan Traps activity caused the K-Pg event. Additionally, the claim in the
underlined portion of Text 1 says nothing about how the Chicxulub impact changed the climate, so while Hull’s
team might believe that the impact did in fact change the climate, they could not be said to agree with the claim
in Text 1 on this point. Choice C is incorrect because there is no indication in either text that any scientists
assume that the Chicxulub impact caused the Deccan Traps activity, so there is no reason to conclude that Hull’s
team would question why the scientists referred to in Text 1 make such an assumption. Choice D is incorrect
because Text 2 describes how Hull’s team found that the climate had recovered from the changes brought about
by the Deccan Traps activity before the K-Pg event occurred, which suggests that Hull’s team would say that the
Deccan Traps activity had a less enduring effect on global conditions than the scientists referenced in Text 1
believe, not that the effect on global conditions was more signi cant than those scientists claim.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID f1c9d2c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The author of Text 2 directly contradicts Bremner’s claim that Appia lacked
technical expertise by stating that Appia was “not an amateur in the practice of lighting.” His experience as a
lighting specialist’s apprentice would have, the author of Text 2 argues, allowed Appia to “[develop] his
understanding of what was possible” with the elements of theatrical design.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text describes how other lighting technicians responded to Appia’s ideas.
Furthermore, this claim isn’t relevant to Bremner’s evaluation of Appia’s technical expertise. Choice C is
incorrect. Neither text mentions anything about the opinions of theater practitioners who worked with Appia, so
this answer choice does not relate to the claim about Appia’s level of technical expertise made by Bremner in
Text 1. Choice D is incorrect. Neither text mentions anything about Appia’s familiarity with or ignorance of the
use of music and sound in theater. Both focus on his expertise (or lack thereof) in lighting.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID eae66bf9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Siraj’s hypothesis is that the Chicxulub impactor was a long-period comet. But
Artemieva points to the iridium found in the crater and in “geological layers that were deposited worldwide after
the impact” as evidence that it was actually an asteroid, not a long-period comet.

Choice A is incorrect. We can’t infer that this is how Artemieva would respond to Siraj’s hypothesis. Text 2 never
discusses whether Wild 2 is representative of long-period comets in general. Rather, Text 2 presents Artemieva’s
argument that the Chicxulub impactor was an asteroid, not a long-term comet. Choice C is incorrect. We can’t
infer that this is how Artemieva would respond to Siraj’s hypothesis. Siraj’s hypothesis doesn’t make this
connection: rather, Siraj hypothesizes that the Chicxulub impactor was a long-term comet. Choice D is incorrect.
We can’t infer that this is how Artemieva would respond to Siraj’s hypothesis. “Soil samples from sites distant
from the Chicxulub crater” is too vague. Only soil samples from sites that are connected to the impact in some
way are involved in either hypothesis.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID 03080769
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. According to the author of Text 1, Moore’s de nition of common sense—things we
instinctively know are true—includes the belief that we all “exist in a world with other objects.” The author of
Text 1 describes this notion as both “obvious” and “groundbreaking.” So it’s safe to infer that the author would
observe that Moore would respond to external world skeptics by arguing that since everyone instinctively knows
that things exist outside of their own minds, then external world skepticism must be wrong.

Choice A is incorrect. We can’t infer that the author of Text 1 would respond this way to external world skeptics.
If anything, the author of Text 1 seems to agree with Moore. Choice B is incorrect. We can’t infer that the author
of Text 1 would respond this way to external world skeptics. The author of Text 1 never mentions external world
skeptics directly, let alone why they have a hard time refuting Moore’s position. Choice C is incorrect. We can’t
infer that the author of Text 1 would respond this way to external world skeptics. Text 1’s presentation of Moore’s
concept of common sense only includes the idea that some facts are true based on instinct—it doesn’t mention
the idea that some proofs are inadequate based on instinct.
Question Dif culty: Medium
Question ID e4e2aeb3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The author of Text 2 argues that Morrison’s use of the sermon is not only in uenced
by Ellison, but also by a “community-wide strategy of resistance” to literary conventions practiced by Black
American authors. Ellison, Text 2 alleges, is only one of many in uences on Morrison.

Choice B is incorrect. Neither text speci cally mentions sermons in works by authors other than Morrison or
Ellison, only a tendency towards eroding “the division between oral and written forms” among Black American
writers. Choice C is incorrect. Both texts describe similarities between the works of Ellison and Morrison, and
neither points out instances of divergence. Text 2 simply suggests that Morrison was in uenced by more than
just Ellison. Choice D is incorrect. While Text 2 does discuss Morrison’s resistance to certain literary
conventions, it’s unclear what it would mean for the underlined claim to be “indebted” to that tradition. This
choice recycles language from the text, but not in a way that makes any coherent point.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 6a1dc7c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it re ects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the
assessment of Orlando in Text 1. Both authors agree that Orlando is unusual for Woolf: Text 1 states that the novel
examines its characters’ psychologies more super cially than Woolf’s other novels do, and Text 2 describes it as
being lighter in tone. However, while Text 1 calls Orlando an “oddity” and mentions that Woolf “began it as a joke,”
Text 2 asserts that Orlando engages the same themes as Woolf’s other great novels. Hence, the author of Text 2
would most likely accept that Orlando differs from Woolf’s other novels but would also insist on its importance
in the context of Woolf’s work as a writer.

Choice A is incorrect. Text 2 does suggest that the humor in Orlando is effective. However, there’s nothing in Text
2 to suggest that the author would agree that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels. Rather, the
author of Text 2 compares Orlando favorably to other novels by Woolf that are implied to be darker in tone.
Choice B is incorrect because the author of Text 2 does not indicate that Orlando is less impressive than Woolf’s
other novels, but instead points out that it engages the same themes as other novels by Woolf that are
considered classics. Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in Text 1 or Text 2 to suggest that readers have
generally ignored Orlando because of its reputation.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 5e101c70
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it re ects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to Text 1
based on the information provided. Text 1 discusses the discovery of a regeneration-linked gene, EGR, in both
three-banded panther worms (which are capable of full regeneration) and humans (who have relatively limited
regeneration abilities). Text 1 characterizes this discovery as “especially promising” and a sign of “exciting
progress” in understanding human regeneration. The author of Text 2, on the other hand, focuses on the fact that
the team that reported the EGR nding pointed out that while EGR’s function in humans isn’t yet known, it’s
likely very different from its function in panther worms. Therefore, the author of Text 2 would most likely say
that Text 1’s enthusiasm about the EGR discovery is overly optimistic given Srivastava’s team’s observations
about EGR in humans.

Choice A is incorrect because the author of Text 2 explains that Srivastava and her team explicitly reported that
they haven’t yet identi ed how EGR functions in humans; therefore, the author of Text 2 wouldn’t say that Text
1’s excitement is reasonable for the stated reason. Instead, the author of Text 2 would likely characterize Text 1’s
excitement as premature and overly optimistic. Choice C is incorrect because Text 1 does treat Srivastava’s
team’s ndings with enthusiasm; it describes the discovery of EGR in both three-banded panther worms and
humans as promising and exciting. It would be illogical for the author of Text 2 to say that because most others
treat the discovery with enthusiasm, Text 1’s enthusiastic characterization of the discovery is unexpected.
Choice D is incorrect because Text 1 isn’t at all dismissive of Srivastava’s team’s ndings; instead, Text 1 is
optimistic about the EGR discovery, characterizing it as promising and exciting. There’s nothing in Text 2 to
suggest that the author of Text 2 would say that Text 1’s praise for the discovery is dismissive, or disdainful.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 12d81fc1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. Lacadena’s theory is that Nahuatl script symbols signi ed syllables, but the
consensus described in Text 2 is that they can signify either symbols or full words, depending on the context. So
the author of Text 2 would likely consider Lacadena’s theory too simplistic: it’s missing the importance of the
context in determining the meaning of a symbol.

Choice A is incorrect. This con icts with Text 1’s description of Lacadena’s theory. Lacadena’s theory is that
Nahuatl script symbols signi ed syllables. Choice B is incorrect. This con icts with Text 1’s description of
Lacadena’s theory. Text 1 states that Lacadena’s theory differed from what earlier scholars believed. Choice C is
incorrect. We can’t infer that this is how the author of Text 2 would characterize Lacadena’s theory. Neither text
mentions how or even if the script changed over time.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID 17bf10de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Both texts are critical of The Guns of August, but for different reasons: the author of
Text 1 argues that Tuchman missed an important factor leading up to the war because she didn’t consult
secondary sources, and the author of Text 2 argues that Tuchman’s main thesis is "reductive," which is a close
synonym for "overly simplistic."

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. This choice’s summary of Text 1 is
accurate, but Text 2 never says that Tuchman’s most interesting claims result from her original research. Choice
C is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. Text 1 never says that The Guns of August is
worthwhile to read despite its research weaknesses. Text 2 does call out a weakness of Tuchman’s interpretation
of events, but it also praises her analysis of primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately
describe the difference. Text 1 actually says that Tuchman "fails to address" the in uence of events in Eastern
Europe, while Text 2 says that Tuchman’s thesis was that European powers (not Eastern European leaders) were
committed to military plans.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID d0198544
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it accurately describes how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond
to the underlined claim in Text 1. Text 1 indicates that Storey found a genetic mutation in South American
chickens from before the European invasion and in Polynesian chickens, which implies that chickens were rst
brought to South America by Polynesian people. Text 2 explains that the genetic mutation Storey found is in
chickens from all over the world, thus undercutting the mutation as evidence of a Polynesian origin. However,
Text 2 goes on to say “[m]ore recently” Luzuriaga-Neira and colleagues found multiple genetic markers shared by
South American and Polynesian chickens but “that European breeds lack,” which strongly suggests a Polynesian
origin for the South American chickens. This indicates that the author of Text 2 believes Luzuriaga-Neira’s
evidence for a Polynesian origin is compelling while Storey’s evidence has been undermined. Thus, the author of
Text 2 would most likely agree with the underlined statement and believes Luzuriaga-Neira and colleagues’
evidence for the statement is stronger than Storey’s evidence is.
Choice A is incorrect because both texts indicate that chickens were introduced to South America before the
arrival of Europeans. Text 1 states that the El Arenal chicken bone dates from “1321–1407 CE—over a century
before Europeans invaded the region” and concludes that these chickens were likely brought to South America
by Polynesians. While Text 2 is not as explicit about the time period as Text 1 is, nothing in Text 2 undermines
the timing of events ascribed to Storey’s account in Text 1. Choice B is incorrect because both texts agree that
chickens were rst brought to South America by Polynesian peoples (the underlined claim), and nothing in Text
2 suggests that this claim is in any way de cient because the possibility that animals could have been
transferred from South America to Polynesia was not explicitly addressed. Choice C is incorrect because the
criticism that Text 2 raises about the ideas in Text 1 is speci cally about whether the single genetic mutation
cited by Storey in fact supports the idea of a Polynesian origin for South American chickens. There is nothing in
Text 2 to suggest that the underlined sentence (Storey’s conclusion) is de cient because it is based on an
assumption about the genetic uniformity of European chickens.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID ab56a107
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it re ects how the author of Text 2 would respond to the claims in Text 1.
Both texts address skills needed to produce digital art. Text 1 claims that digital art doesn’t require the same
amount of skill as creating physical art and that “the technology is doing most of the work.” Text 2 states that
digital art requires “knowing the fundamentals of art” and that many digital artists begin their work on paper
and then transfer it to a digital format using “sophisticated software” and “a variety of colors and techniques.”
Therefore, the author of Text 2 would most likely insist that digital art requires artistic abilities even if it
employs less traditional tools.

Choice A is incorrect because neither text discusses nondigital means of displaying art. Choice B is incorrect
because the author of Text 2 doesn’t address whether it’s harder to use a tablet and stylus than it is to use paint
and a brush. Text 2 does argue that digital art requires skills that aren’t part of the traditional methods for
producing art, but the text doesn’t address relative dif culty. Choice D is incorrect because the author of Text 2
states that digital artists still need to know “the fundamentals of art” and that many digital artists begin their
work by drafting on paper before transferring the work to a digital format.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID f653b273
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it re ects what the paleontologists in Text 2 would most likely say about
what the researchers in Text 1 initially thought. Text 1 focuses on the discovery of a strange fossil consisting of
the skull of the extinct species Oculudentavis khaungraae. According to Text 1, the fossil has features that
appear to be avian, or related to birds, which led researchers to initially think that the fossil might be a very
small avian dinosaur. Text 2 begins by noting the discovery of a second fossil similar to the one discussed in
Text 1, then explains that based on detailed studies of both fossils, paleontologists think that the two creatures
were probably unusual lizards, even though the skulls appeared avian at rst. This suggests that the
paleontologists in Text 2 recognize that the fossils do indeed look like they could be related to birds. For this
reason, the paleontologists in Text 2 would most likely say that the initial thought of the researchers in Text 1—
that the fossil was avian—is understandable, even if the fossil is probably not avian but rather is from a lizard.

Choice B is incorrect because Text 2 indicates that the fossils initially looked avian, so the paleontologists
described in Text 2 wouldn’t be confused by the researchers in Text 1 initially thinking that O. khaungraae might
be related to birds. The paleontologists would nd that initial thought understandable, not confusing. Choice C is
incorrect because Text 1 never mentions lizards, so it wouldn’t make sense for the paleontologists in Text 2 to
say that the researchers in Text 1 mistakenly assumed that O. khaungraae must be a lizard. Choice D is incorrect.
Although the paleontologists in Text 2 might agree that the initial thought of the researchers in Text 1 was
reasonable, nothing in Text 2 suggests that the two skulls were shaped differently.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID 27d9bb69
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The researchers in Text 2 recognize that acquiring information is a powerful
motivator, but showed that this motivation can still be affected by other factors, like whether or not the
information is expected to be useful or not. This suggests that other desires may play a part in driving people to
acquire information.

Choice B is incorrect. The consensus view in Text 1 is that people acquire information regardless of whether they
think they can use it later. Dubey and colleagues acknowledge this fact (so they don’t claim people seek out
information “only” because it might be useful later). Choice C is incorrect. This choice misreads the results of
Dubey and colleagues’ study in Text 2. Neither text discusses the dif culty of determining the motivation for
information-seeking. Choice D is incorrect. This choice contradicts Text 2, which starts with Dubey and
colleagues “acknowledging that acquiring information is a powerful motivator” (i.e., agreeing that curiosity
explains the seeking of apparently purposeless information). The research in Text 2 simply suggests that more
than just curiosity can motivate information-seeking behavior when the information has a purpose.

Question Dif culty: Medium

Question ID c885c38b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it describes the most likely way that Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) would
respond to the “conventional wisdom” presented in Text 1. According to Text 1, the conventional wisdom about
human social systems is that they developed through stages, beginning with hunter-gatherer bands, then
moving to clan associations, then chiefdoms, and nally arriving at states with bureaucratic structures. Text 2
indicates that Graeber and Wengrow believe that human social systems have been exible, shifting between
different types of structures, including both hierarchical and collective systems, and that these shifts may have
even occurred seasonally. This suggests that Graeber and Wengrow would dispute the idea that developments in
social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in Text 2 suggests that Graeber and Wengrow believe that decentralized
collective societies are more signi cant than hierarchical systems. Text 2 is focused on Graeber and Wengrow’s
view that humans have exibly shifted among various social structures, not on the importance of particular
structures relative to others. Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t include any information suggesting
that Graeber and Wengrow believe that hierarchies didn’t emerge until after the rise of agriculture. In fact, Text 2
indicates that Graeber and Wengrow cite evidence suggesting that some hunter-gatherer groups formed social
structures with hierarchical elements (“communities that included esteemed individuals”) 50,000 years ago, long
before the rise of agriculture, which Text 1 says occurred around 12,000 years ago. Choice D is incorrect because
there’s no information in Text 2 suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow would challenge the assumption that
groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure. Although Text 1 does indicate
that hunter-gatherer groups are assumed to be the earliest human social system, Text 2 says only that Graeber
and Wengrow believe that some hunter-gatherer groups made use of different social structures at different
times. Text 2 doesn’t imply that Graeber and Wengrow doubt that hunter-gatherer groups preceded most other
social structures.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID de2c2f57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Text 1 introduces Wang and colleagues’ study and its surprising results, and then
mentions Miller and Simpson’s hypothesis as a possible way to explain them. Text 2, however, challenges Miller
and Simpson’s hypothesis by pointing out the dif culties of preserving mammoth carcasses on the surface for
thousands of years: “scavengers and weathering” are the additional details that complicate the Miller/Simpson
hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text compares two different approaches for studying mammoth extinction. Text 1
describes one study and one hypothesis pertaining to it. Text 2 critiques that hypothesis. Choice C is incorrect.
Text 1 does not describe a critique of Wang and colleagues’ methodology, but rather an interpretation of their
results by Miller and Simpson. Text 2 does not offer additional details showing that methodology to be sound, but
rather casts doubt on the Miller/Simpson explanation. Choice D is incorrect. Both components mentioned here
(the new “undermining” research and the theory for reconciling this discovery) are contained in Text 1. Text 2
then shows how the attempt to reconcile the standard view and new research is awed, and still fails to explain
the discrepancy.
Question Dif culty: Hard
Question ID 6977d22b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because based on Text 2, it represents how Behrenfeld and colleagues would most
likely respond to the “conventional wisdom” discussed in Text 1. The conventional wisdom cited holds the
opinion that when there is species diversity within a phytoplankton population, “one species should emerge
after outcompeting the rest”—that is, after being so successful in competing for resources that the other species
vanish from the population. However, Text 2 explains that according to Behrenfeld and colleagues,
phytoplankton are so small and spaced so far apart in the water that there is “much less” direct competition for
resources within phytoplankton populations than scientists had previously thought.

Choice B is incorrect because Text 2 never discusses whether routine replenishment of ocean nutrients affects
competition between phytoplankton species. Choice C is incorrect because the interspecies competition
discussed in both texts is speci cally between phytoplankton species, and neither text considers whether
phytoplankton compete for resources with larger nonphytoplankton species. Choice D is incorrect because
according to Text 2, Behrenfeld and colleagues argue that water density decreases, not increases, competition
between phytoplankton species.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID 35e21b06
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it re ects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the
researchers’ perspective in Text 1 on the behavior of the magpies without trackers. According to Text 1,
Dominique Potvin and colleagues observed magpies without trackers pecking at a tracker on another magpie
until the device fell off. The researchers suggested that the birds might have been attempting to help the other
bird, with no bene t to themselves. Text 2 generally discusses scenarios in which animals have been observed
removing trackers from each other. The text cautions that it shouldn’t be assumed that these animals are
helping one another deliberately, since they might simply be pecking at trackers out of curiosity, causing them
to fall off eventually. Therefore, the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to Potvin and colleagues’
perspective in Text 1 by saying that the behavior of the magpies without trackers could be adequately explained
without suggesting that they were attempting to assist the other magpie.
Choice A is incorrect because Text 2 never discusses the novelty, or the newness and unusual quality, of the
captive settings in which animals have been observed to remove trackers from other animals, nor does it
suggest that such novelty might account for this behavior. Instead, the text suggests that it’s the novelty of the
tracking equipment itself that might cause the behavior: interested in the trackers because they’re unusual,
animals might paw or peck at them until they fall off. Choice B is incorrect because Text 2 never suggests that
when animals remove trackers from other animals, they do so because they wish to obtain the trackers for
themselves. Instead, Text 2 argues that animals paw or peck at trackers because they are merely curious about
them. Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t argue that when captured animals are observed removing
trackers from each other, their behavior should be regarded as sel ess only if all of them participate in it.
Instead, the text argues that the behavior may not be sel ess at all and may instead be attributed to animals’
curiosity about the new and unusual trackers.

Question Dif culty: Hard

Question ID f52cc78c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Text 2 describes how the Svalbard polar bears have adapted to the loss of sea ice by
diversifying their diet and feeding on reindeer and seabird eggs, resulting in a “stable and well nourished”
population despite environmental challenges. This counters the underlined claim that polar bears facing a loss
of sea ice are at “great risk of extinction” by the end of the century.

Choice B is incorrect. Text 2 does not challenge the fact that sea ice is rapidly declining in the Arctic due to
warming ocean temperatures. In fact, it states that the Svalbard polar bears have faced “rapidly declining sea ice
in recent years.” Choice C is incorrect. The claim in Text 1 is speci c to polar bear populations affected by the
loss of seal hunting habitats, so unaffected populations are irrelevant to the claim. Also, Text 2 doesn’t mention
any polar bear populations that haven’t yet been affected by loss of seal hunting habitats. It focuses on a
population that has been affected by sea-ice loss but has managed to survive and thrive nevertheless. Choice D
is incorrect. Text 2 doesn’t imply that polar bears rely on a single seal-hunting strategy. In fact, the researcher in
Text 2 would say that Text 1 fails to account for polar bears’ ability to develop other hunting strategies and food
sources.
Question Dif culty: Medium