Cities often run hotter than the countryside, a phenomenon called the urban heat island. The central idea is that changing heat-absorbing surfaces and adding shade can meaningfully lower neighborhood temperatures. Dark roofs and asphalt streets soak up sunlight during the day and release it at night, keeping blocks warm even after sunset. By contrast, trees cool in two ways: they cast shade and release moisture through their leaves, a process that lowers nearby air temperature. Light-colored or reflective "cool roofs" also bounce much of the sun's energy away, reducing surface temperatures and lowering indoor cooling needs. Street-level measurements repeatedly show that blocks with more canopy and reflective materials feel noticeably cooler to people walking there. While opening cooling centers and urging residents to drink water are important safety steps, they don't change how much heat the built environment absorbs. Small additions like ornamental fountains might look refreshing, but their cooling effect is usually limited to a few feet. The most effective strategies focus on surfaces and shade—planting and preserving trees, installing cool roofs, and choosing lighter pavements on sidewalks and parking lots.

Which detail best supports the main idea that altering surfaces and increasing shade can reduce urban temperatures?

Texas has become a national leader in wind energy because it matched strong natural resources with smart infrastructure. Wide-open stretches of the Panhandle and West Texas experience steady winds ideal for utility-scale turbines. Yet wind alone does not power cities; electricity must travel hundreds of miles to reach homes and factories. Over the last decade, the state built Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) transmission lines that link remote wind farms to major urban centers like Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. That backbone unlocked growth, allowing developers to add turbines where winds are strongest and deliver power where demand is highest. Rural landowners gained lease payments that diversify ranch income, while the grid gained another source to balance hot summer demand. In recent years, Texas has regularly produced more wind electricity than any other state. Turbine technology keeps improving, but blade length or tower height matter less without wires to move the power. The key is the combination: reliable wind, room to build, and transmission that turns distant breezes into electricity on city grids.

Which detail is most important for understanding why Texas leads the nation in wind power production?

Recommendation algorithms power most social media feeds, and they are designed to maximize engagement. Instead of showing every post in time order, platforms score content using signals like watch time, clicks, comments, and shares. Items that trigger stronger or longer interactions are boosted to more people, creating feedback loops: the more users act on a topic, the more similar content appears. Independent tests by journalists and researchers show how quickly this can narrow a feed. Starting with a fresh account, they interacted with a small number of posts on a single theme; within a short time, the feed became dominated by that topic, while other perspectives appeared less often. This doesn't mean algorithms are malicious, but it does mean they can shape what users see without anyone noticing. Some platforms let people switch to chronological order or follow diverse sources to broaden their view. Understanding that the system prioritizes engagement helps explain why sensational or highly captivating posts often rise to the top, and why a few clicks can change the mix of information a user encounters.

Which detail best supports the main idea that engagement-focused algorithms can quickly shape and narrow what users see?

Texas's population is growing, and long dry spells still arrive, so cities must plan for water scarcity. The key idea is that conservation and diversified supplies—like reuse, aquifer storage, and brackish-water desalination—are essential to meet demand. Much city use goes to outdoor irrigation, which can be reduced with drought-tolerant landscaping and smart meters that detect leaks. Advanced recycling allows treated wastewater to become a new, reliable source for industry or indirect drinking supplies. Aquifer storage and recovery can bank wet-year water underground for later. These strategies have worked: over several decades, San Antonio cut per-person water use by about 40 percent even as it added residents, using conservation programs, leak repairs, and large-scale reuse. That kind of progress shows that stretching existing supplies can delay or reduce the need for costly new reservoirs. While new projects may still be part of the toolbox, relying on them alone leaves cities vulnerable to drought cycles. A balanced approach—use less, reuse more, and store wisely—makes Texas communities more resilient in dry years.

Which detail most strongly supports the central idea that conservation and diversified supplies are essential for Texas cities?

Cities across the world are getting hotter, but not every neighborhood warms the same way. Blocks with few trees and lots of dark pavement absorb and hold solar energy, creating "urban heat islands." On the hottest days, this trapped heat raises air temperatures and puts stress on residents, especially older adults and outdoor workers. Urban foresters argue that planting and protecting trees is one of the most effective local responses. Trees cool streets in two ways: by casting shade that keeps surfaces from heating up and by releasing water vapor, a process called evapotranspiration. Studies in several large cities show that streets with robust canopy coverage can feel several degrees cooler in the afternoon than nearby treeless blocks. Cooler streets mean fewer heat-related illnesses, lower energy bills from air-conditioning, and better conditions for walking and transit. Cities also test other ideas, like reflective roofs or lighter-colored asphalt, but those strategies often work best alongside living shade. Because summer nights stay warm as concrete slowly releases stored heat, communities that invest in long-term tree care—selecting species that can thrive, watering young saplings, and preventing unnecessary removals—see the most lasting relief.

Which detail best supports the passage's main idea that planting and protecting urban trees is a highly effective way to reduce heat in cities?

Drive through West Texas and the landscape sometimes seems to move: rows of white turbines turn steadily above ranchland and mesquite. Over the past two decades, wind power has shifted from a novelty to a backbone of the Texas electric grid. Consistent plains winds, especially at night, help balance power demand and complement daytime solar generation. State leaders approved long-distance transmission lines known as CREZ, linking remote wind farms to big cities, which allowed projects to expand rapidly. Texas now produces more wind energy than any other state, supplying a significant share of Texans' electricity in many months. The benefits show up locally, too. Landowners earn lease payments, counties collect tax revenue for schools and roads, and new maintenance jobs keep young workers closer to home. Challenges remain—forecasting wind, upgrading the grid to handle extreme weather, and managing wildlife impacts—but engineers and planners continue to refine solutions. While an individual turbine's height grabs attention, the larger story is how thousands working together have diversified the state's energy mix and strengthened rural economies. As storage options improve, that role is likely to grow.

Which detail most strongly supports the passage's main idea that wind energy has become a central pillar of Texas's power mix and rural economy?

During the mid-twentieth century, civil rights leaders advanced a clear strategy: use disciplined, nonviolent protest to expose injustice and force the nation to confront it. Organizers trained volunteers to sit calmly at segregated lunch counters, to endure insults without striking back, and to keep careful records of arrests. When local officials responded with arrests, dogs, or fire hoses, the contrast between peaceful demonstrators and harsh treatment became the story. Televised images from Birmingham and Selma reached millions of living rooms, shifting public opinion and pressuring national leaders. The movement paired these scenes with targeted demands—desegregate downtowns, protect voting, end discriminatory hiring—so that outrage translated into policy. Marchers sang to steady their nerves, churches hosted mass meetings, and student groups mapped out routes block by block. There were disagreements about tactics and timing, and violence did erupt in some places, especially later in the decade. Yet the cumulative effect of sustained nonviolent action helped drive landmark federal reforms, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, demonstrating how strategy and moral witness can change law.

Which detail is most important for understanding how nonviolent protest advanced civil rights in this passage?

Scrolling headlines can make anyone feel informed, but the speed of online reading hides traps. Algorithms tend to boost posts that provoke quick reactions, not careful thinking, which means rumors can spread faster than corrections. Educators argue that media literacy—explicitly teaching students how to judge sources—is now as essential as learning to write an essay. In several districts, including some in Texas, teachers coach students to "read laterally": open new tabs, check who funds a site, and compare claims across reputable outlets before believing or sharing. In one semester-long program, students who practiced these habits were far more accurate at identifying misleading posts than classmates who relied on a single source or on gut feelings. Librarians also model slow-looking: tracing an image to its original context and noting whether a headline matches the article. These skills take time to build, but they equip young people to separate reliable reporting from opinion or manipulation. Colorful app designs and viral challenges may be entertaining, yet the central task is learning how to evaluate evidence in a noisy information stream.

Which detail best supports the passage's main idea that teaching media literacy improves students' ability to judge online information?