Is Google Making Us Stupid?

What is the author's purpose in alluding to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey ?

• To introduce the central idea of the article.
• To insult artificial intelligence programs.
• To associate the article with the philosophy of Stanley Kubrick.
• To illustrate the restlessness of our generation.

The use of the phrase "foraging in the Web’s info-thickets’" 

• Heightens the growing resemblance of the Internet to nature.
• Uses figurative language to illustrate the density of information on the web.
• Shows the author's growing distaste for working on the Net.
• Contradicts his previous observation about thinking.

One of McLuhan's (1960's) many contributions to media studies is the observation that media ...

• Supplies the substance and shapes the process of thought.
• Provides a "perfect recall of silicon memory"
• Chips away at our ability to navigate social situations.
• Opens the door for power to be concentrated in the hands of a few.

What is Carr's purpose in citing University College London studies on online research habits and referencing Maryanne Wolf's concern with "efficiency and immediacy" in reading?

• To cast doubt upon the concerns of academics.
• To use their authority to better support his central claim.
• To show that there is still disagreement in the field.
• To transition to a greater concern with Friedrich Nietzsche.

Turning to an anecdote about Nietzsche helps to reinforce...  

• That our use of technology can shape our mental attitudes.
• That the mind is flexible and adaptable.
• That pivotal intellectual figures are not immune to the changes posed by technological advances.
• All of the choices are correct.

What historical development does Carr reference to support the idea that the dominant intellectual technologies of an era provide metaphors to explain the mind?

• The development of time-keeping technologies.
• The use of the Malling-Hansen Writing Ball
• The development of the steam engine.
• The rise of Taylorism in American industry.

Which statement best captures the central idea of the article?

• The emerging reliance on computers to mediate our thinking is shifting our capacity for deep reading and sustained focus.
• Increased dependence on Google is diminishing our powers of self-control.
• Future generations are likely to be less intelligent than previous generations.
• By turning to the lessons of the past, we can better prepare ourselves to develop cognitive strategies for navigating problems.