The Incredible Talking Machine

Refer to the article “The Incredible Talking Machine,” the passage from “History of the Cylinder Phonograph,” and the article “Psst . . . Hey, You" and answer the following question: What is the central idea of “Psst . . . Hey, You” that is supported by the other articles?

• Sound technology continues to evolve.

• Modern inventors must compete for recognition.

• Directional speakers are useful in commercial business.

• Advances in technology are prohibitively expensive.

Refer to the article “The Incredible Talking Machine,” the passage from “History of the Cylinder Phonograph,” and the article “Psst . . . Hey, You" and answer the following question: Which sentence from the article best supports the answer to Part A? (What is the central idea of “Psst . . . Hey, You” that is supported by the other articles?)

• “He then designed an amplifier, electronics, and speakers to produce ultrasound ‘that is clean enough to generate clean audio,’ Pompei says.” (paragraph 3)

• “Rival inventor Woody Norris markets a competing product called HyperSonic Sound from his American Technology Corporation in San Diego.” (paragraph 3)

• “Pompei’s speakers are installed in company lobbies, and above exhibits at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, among other locations.” (paragraph 4)

• “But the primary obstacle to wider deployment is cost: systems can run from $600 to $1,000 or more.” (paragraph 5)

Which word is spelt correctly?

• incredable

• incredible

• incredeble

• incredibel

Passage 1
How does the author of “The Incredible Talking Machine” mainly present information throughout the article?  

• by presenting a cause and its effects

• by describing events in sequential order

• by explaining a problem and its solution

• by comparing and contrasting events 

Which statement best describes the central idea of “The incredible Talking Machine”?

• Edison was dependent on his assistants and backers to be successful.

• Edison was never able to comprehend the full potential of his invention.

• Edison was more gifted at promoting his inventions than designing them.

• Edison was so impressed with his own invention that he ignored constructive criticism.

What is the main theme of 'The Incredible Talking Machine'?

• The evolution of sound technology

• The competition among modern inventors

• The usefulness of directional speakers

• The cost of technological advances

Which sentence from 'The Incredible Talking Machine' best supports the idea that sound technology continues to evolve?

• 'He then designed an amplifier, electronics, and speakers to produce ultrasound that is clean enough to generate clean audio,' Pompei says.

• 'Rival inventor Woody Norris markets a competing product called HyperSonic Sound from his American Technology Corporation in San Diego.'

• 'Pompei’s speakers are installed in company lobbies, and above exhibits at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, among other locations.'

• 'But the primary obstacle to wider deployment is cost: systems can run from $600 to $1,000 or more.'

Which word is spelled correctly?

• incredable

• incredible

• incredeble

• incredibel

How does the author of 'The Incredible Talking Machine' mainly present information throughout the article?

• By presenting a cause and its effects

• By describing events in sequential order

• By explaining a problem and its solution

• By comparing and contrasting events

Which statement best describes the central idea of 'The Incredible Talking Machine'?

• Edison was dependent on his assistants and backers to be successful.

• Edison was never able to comprehend the full potential of his invention.

• Edison was more gifted at promoting his inventions than designing them.

• Edison was so impressed with his own invention that he ignored constructive criticism.