RL 9

Read this sentence from Paragraph 3.

Imagine a classroom with many students all carrying cell phones: it is as if all the people they can text message or email or access through a web search have come to school with them.

Which best describes how this sentence refines the author’s argument?

• A. by providing a description of what a modern classroom looks like

• B: by demonstrating that cell phones are steadily rising in popularity

• C. by using a striking image to help the reader visualize the problem

• D. by emphasizing the number of students who already own cell phones

1.2. Which best summarizes the author's objection to cell phones?

• A. The cost of permitting cell phones at school exceeds some school budgets.

• B. Older cell phones are not useful for learning because they are slow and inefficient.

• C. A policy of allowing cell phones at school penalizes students who do not have them.

• D. Cheap cell phones lack the sophisticated software programs available on expensive phones

1.3. Which detail in Passage 1 advances the argument that an extreme course of action is necessary to get results?

• A. "In fact, I would wager that most of our conversations with friends and family members take place across distance." (paragraph 2)

• B. "To bring a phone into a classroom is essentially to bring all these other people and texts to a school." (paragraph 3)

• C "The only solution is to remove the temptation and the inequality from the classroom entirely." (paragraph 5)

• D. "Given the complexity of the way the phone changes the classroom, we would do best to limit its effect." (paragraph 6)

1.4. How does paragraph 2 in Passage 1 develop the author's ideas?

• A. It demonstrates that most people today have access to cell phones.

• B. It suggests that the use of cell phones causes people to feel isolated.

• C. It emphasizes the vast amount of information that could distract a cell phone user.

• D. It argues that the original telephone was more effective than modern cell phones are.

1.5. In paragraph 3, what does the author imply will happen if students seek answers from phones during a class period?

• A. They will not be able to find accurate information.

• B. They will cause a disruption to the learning experience.

• C. They will depend on phones instead of becoming self-sufficient.

• D. They will cause students who do not own phones to feel uncomfortable.

1.6. Which detail in Passage 1 is irrelevant to the author's primary claim?

• A. "With a cell phone that accesses the internet, a user can reach out not only to people she knows but to people across the globe and in a sense, anyone throughout human history who has published information on the internet. " (paragraph 2)

• B. "To bring a phone into a classroom is essentially to bring all these other people and texts to a school." (paragraph 3)

• C. "The phone, like Pandora’s box, seems to be a gift; it tempts us with novelty but once we open it, we cannot stop the rush of information." (paragraph 3)

• D. "Some students inevitably will enjoy more efficient devices or more pieces of software than others." (paragraph 4)

According to the passage, what is one major difference between Alexander Graham Bell’s original telephone and cell phones of today?

• A. Bell’s telephone brought people closer together, while modern cell phones cause people to feel separated.

• B. Bell’s telephone received little public attention, while modern cell phones have become extremely popular.

• C. Bell’s telephone was intended for business purposes, while modern cell phones are intended for entertainment.

• D. Bell’s telephone was limited in its capabilities, while modern cell phones allow many forms of communication.

Why does the author MOST LIKELY begin the passage by describing the invention of the telephone?

• A. to show that Bell was surprised by the eventual popularity of the telephone

• B. to imply that Bell would be displeased with the current state of the telephone

• C. to suggest that the telephone has made life more complicated since its creation

• D. to reveal how much the modern telephone has departed from its original purpose

Select two sentences from the options below that represent key ideas that should be addressed in a summary of Passage 1.

• A. "The user of the phone expects to access—at a distance—all types of information and all types of conversations.” (paragraph 2)

• B. “Teachers must require students to turn off phones to avoid constant interruption by these many other voices.” (paragraph 3)

• C. “If a school allows phones to enter the classroom, then it allows inequality to enter as well.” (paragraph 4)

• D. “We can rest assured that the phone-free classroom will be a functioning one; after all, for hundreds if not thousands of years, students graduated from school without using a cell phone.” (paragraph 5)

• E. “Given the complexity of the way the phone changes the classroom, we would do best to limit its effect.” (paragraph 6)

The author attempts to show that cell phones are similar to Pandora's box. Select two details from Passage 1 that show this connection.

• A. "The phone is a Pandora’s box of possibilities." (paragraph 3)

• B. "The phone, like Pandora’s box, seems to be a gift; it tempts us with novelty but once we open it, we cannot stop the rush of information." (paragraph 3)

• C. "Many people manage to purchase some type of phone, but not all phones are equal." (paragraph 4)

• D. "Finally, not everyone can afford to buy this Pandora’s box, even if it were not so volatile." (paragraph 4)

• E. "The phone itself should not be blamed for its detrimental effect on learning; the phone remains a tool." (paragraph 6)