Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Who is the writer of "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

• Nicholas Carr

• Jeremy Johnson

• Stanley Kubrick

• Scott Karp

Why does the author talk about his own experience with the internet and how his concentration has begun to change? (paragraph 2)

• In order to blame the internet

• In order to establish credibility to the reader

• In order to entertain the reader

• In order to show of his writing skills

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.

What is the author's intent when he says, "Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes"? (Paragraph 3)

• He means to point to ways in which the internet has helped people save time

• He means to explain how frustrating the internet is

• He means to show that libraries will no longer exist

• He means to excite the reader about the topic he is about to write about

The use of the phrase "foraging in the Web’s info-thickets’" (paragraph 3)

• 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 ...(paragraph 4)

• 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.

When the writer of this essay says, "Once I was a scuba driver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski," he is using WHAT type of figurative language? (paragraph 3)

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• hyperbole

At the end of paragraph 4, what is Carr's intention when he says, "Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski"?

• He wants the reader to understand how much better he is at reading now than he was in the past

• He uses this comparison to show to the reader how happy he is that he owns a Jet Ski now.

• He uses this comparison to explain how he no longer reads for depth, instead he bounces around information on the internet.

• Allows the reader to see how much Carr appreciates the convenience of the internet, when it comes to reading.

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? (Paragraph 7)

• 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.

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.