Passage 1: Battery researchers argue that falling costs and improving energy density make grid-scale battery storage a viable solution for smoothing out renewable energy's natural variability. Passage 2: Grid engineers counter that batteries alone cannot economically store enough energy to cover multi-day lulls in wind and solar generation, and that a broader mix of storage methods, including pumped hydro and demand-response programs, will likely be necessary.

Based on both passages, an energy analyst would most likely conclude that

Passage 1 supports batteries as a viable tool, while Passage 2 argues they're insufficient alone and points to a broader mix, together supporting the idea that batteries are useful but not sufficient by themselves.

Text 1: Some educators argue that handwriting instruction is outdated. Since most writing is now done on keyboards, they say, class time is better spent on typing and digital literacy. Text 2: Researcher Lin Wei notes that students who take notes by hand tend to remember and understand material better than those who type, because writing by hand forces them to summarize rather than transcribe word for word.

Based on the texts, how would Wei (Text 2) most likely respond to the educators in Text 1?

Wei's finding that handwriting aids memory and understanding gives a reason to keep it that Text 1's efficiency argument ignores, so Wei would point to that overlooked benefit. Wei neither agrees with dropping handwriting nor makes the extreme claims in the other choices.

Text 1: Some educators argue that letter grades motivate students by giving clear, comparable targets to work toward. Text 2: Researcher Patel found that when a school replaced grades with detailed written feedback, students took more intellectual risks and focused more on learning than on scores, though they initially found the change disorienting.

Based on the texts, Patel's findings (Text 2) complicate the view in Text 1 by suggesting that letter grades may

Patel found that removing grades shifted students toward learning and risk-taking rather than scores, implying grades can pull focus toward scores over learning — complicating Text 1's motivational claim. The other choices misrepresent Patel's findings.

Text 1: Economist Hasan argues that a universal basic income would reduce poverty most efficiently by giving people cash directly, letting them decide what they need rather than routing aid through many separate programs. Text 2: Economist Doyle counters that targeted programs, though more complex, reach specific needs a flat payment cannot — a cash grant does the same for a healthy young adult as for someone with costly medical needs, even though their needs differ sharply.

Based on the texts, Doyle (Text 2) would most likely criticize Hasan's proposal on the grounds that it

Doyle's objection is that a flat cash payment 'does the same for a healthy young adult as for someone with costly medical needs,' i.e., it treats different needs identically. The other choices contradict Doyle's position or restate Hasan's.

Passage 1: Some economists argue that automation primarily displaces low-skill jobs, freeing workers to move into higher-skill, higher-paying roles as the economy adapts. Passage 2: Labor researchers counter that the transition is neither immediate nor guaranteed, noting that displaced workers often lack access to the retraining programs necessary to move into new roles, and may remain unemployed or underemployed for years.

Based on both passages, an analyst studying the effects of automation would most likely conclude that

Passage 1 suggests automation can lead to better roles, while Passage 2 stresses that this depends on retraining access. Together they imply the outcome is conditional on transition support, matching the second choice.