When comparing two texts, which skill helps identify similarities and differences?

When comparing two texts, which skill helps identify similarities and differences?

• A. Memorizing all vocabulary.
• B. Skimming for main ideas only.
• C. Compare and contrast; determine themes, purposes, and evidence.
• D. Focusing on a single detail.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is to compare and contrast across texts by looking at how they are alike and how they differ, especially in themes, purposes, and the evidence they use. This approach helps you see the bigger picture—how each author approaches a topic, what they aim to achieve, and what supporting details or data shape their argument. Merely memorizing vocabulary won’t reveal those connections, and skimming for main ideas only strips away the specifics that let you judge how the texts relate. Focusing on one small detail also misses the broader patterns and the ways each text builds its message. For example, when you compare two articles about urban transportation, you’d note shared themes like efficiency and equity, but also differences in purpose (one intends to persuade readers, the other to inform) and in evidence (statistics in one, case studies in the other).

The key idea here is to compare and contrast across texts by looking at how they are alike and how they differ, especially in themes, purposes, and the evidence they use. This approach helps you see the bigger picture—how each author approaches a topic, what they aim to achieve, and what supporting details or data shape their argument. Merely memorizing vocabulary won’t reveal those connections, and skimming for main ideas only strips away the specifics that let you judge how the texts relate. Focusing on one small detail also misses the broader patterns and the ways each text builds its message. For example, when you compare two articles about urban transportation, you’d note shared themes like efficiency and equity, but also differences in purpose (one intends to persuade readers, the other to inform) and in evidence (statistics in one, case studies in the other).