RI.7.4 Practice

But at the risk of twisting any of these precious good-news stories into more bad news, experts say there may be a downside to overplaying it.

"They did do the right thing, and that's commendable. But heroic? I think not," says Carnegie Mellon ethics professor Peter Madsen. He sees the high praise swirling around the stories as a kind of moral grade inflation.

"They had an obligation to do what they did. It was not above and beyond the call of duty. They really just did what we should have expected them to do," he says.

When you celebrate what should be ordinary behavior as extraordinary, experts say, it sends a dangerous message.

"I do worry about a culture in which people are giving themselves credit for not having done terrible things. It sets a really low bar for what it takes to be a good person," says London Business School professor Daniel Effron. Effron, who teaches behavioral ethics, says feting folks for what he calls "the immoral road not taken" could actually encourage bad behavior.

What is the meaning of "moral grade inflation"?

• Performing good deeds improves your “moral grade”

• Good deeds that would have gotten a lower “moral grade” in the past are receiving higher praise now

• Good deeds that would have gotten a higher “moral grade” in the past are receiving lower praise now

• The tendency for people to do good deeds is increasing

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

PART A: The Portion Cap Ruling, commonly known as the soda ban, was to restrict the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in restaurants, movie theaters, sports arenas and delis. The decision is disappointing and a defeat to public health advocates urging the government to curb the sale of oversize sugary drinks thought to be a major contributor to America's obesity crisis.

Dr. Mary Bassett, the commissioner of health for the city, issued the following statement:

"Today's ruling does not change the fact that sugary drink consumption is a key driver of the obesity epidemic, and we will continue to look for ways to stem the twin epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes by seeking to limit the pernicious effects of aggressive and predatory marketing of sugary drinks and unhealthy foods."

What is the meaning of the word pernicious?

• Harmful

• Disappointing

• Cruel

• Unstable

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Army scientists have spent decades concocting meals that last without refrigeration and survive high-altitude airdrops. And now, the Army is eyeing a new form of cooking: 3-D printing! Yes, food that comes fresh out of a printer, for our troops.

Lauren Oleksyk, a food technologist leading the team at the Army's Natick research center, lays out the vision. Imagine soldiers who are strapped, head to toe, with sensors that measure if they're high or low in potassium or cholesterol.

What is the meaning of the word concocting?

• Making by combining ingredients

• Assessing military personnel

• Assessing nutritional standards

• Diligently thinking about

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

Scientists at the Houston Zoo are working with people in Venezuela to save the tapir, an animal related to the rhinoceros that looks a lot like a pig. But it’s hunted for its thick hides and it’s losing its habitat in South America’s forests to development.

“We are part of the web of life,” said Marinello. “We forget that sometimes. But we are animals and our earth is supporting us and it’s all connected. It’s a balancing act and we need to think about how we can sustain the planet to take care of us and all of the plants and animals that are on it.”

What is the meaning of the word sustain?

• endure

• survive

• comfort

• preserve

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

Egyptians who ranked high in status often wanted to take their most prized possessions with them in death, so the ka could enjoy them in its next life. Gold, silver, and bronze artifacts were loaded into the interiors of the great tombs. Fine linens and artwork adorned the secret chambers.

In the early days, dead nobles were often interned with their living slaves and animals. Because this practice eventually proved too costly, artists instead depicted scenes of human activity on the inside walls. Some pyramids were even equipped with a rest room for the pharaoh.

What is the meaning of the word adorned?

• To cover up entirely

• To decorate

• To like or love

• To clutter

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

You are walking down a quiet grocery store aisle when suddenly a voice says: “Thirsty? Buy me.” You stop in front of the soda display, but no one is next to you, and shoppers a few feet away do not seem to hear a thing.

At that moment, you are standing in a cylinder of sound. Whereas a loudspeaker broadcasts sound in all directions, the way a lightbulb radiates light, a directional speaker shines a beam of waves akin to a spotlight. The beam consists of ultrasound waves, which humans cannot hear, but which can emit audible tones as they interact with air. By describing these interactions mathematically, engineers can coax a beam to exude voice, music, or any other sound.

What is the meaning of the word exude?

• to project

• to disguise

• to assist

• to calculate

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4