III. The Dangers and Distractions of Ear Buds:
People who have ear buds in their ears simply cannot hear danger approaching. All they hear is the pretend soundtrack of their lives. People walking with ear buds in cannot hear a dog dashing up behind them nor can they hear the footsteps of a thief or murderer sneaking up behind him or her either. People who drive their cars with ear buds plugged in their ears (an act that is considered a traffic violation in many states) cannot hear a child screaming or a horn blowing in warning. Cell phones are known to be a factor in many car accidents. I won’t even mention how distracting ear buds plugged into a cell phone can be for a student in a classroom setting! We basically have handed a device to students that invites them to not pay attention to the real world around them.

IV. Narcissism:
Beyond just being distracting and dangerous, ear buds are detrimental and damaging to society as a whole. Ear buds work against a community of listeners. Everyone is walking all over the neighborhood, plugged into their latest favorite playlist, but no one is talking to anyone. People who are addicted to their ear buds don’t care about other people. They don’t want community and contact with the real world. Ear buds also actively destroy live musicians' ability to make a living with their art form. No one wants live music anymore when they can pay less to hear it instantly and privately anytime they want. If we don’t curb our use of ear buds, all our musicians will languish and no new music will be developed.
Which detail from the selection is not part of the author's overall argument against ear buds?

A) Ear buds destroy community.
B) Ear buds can damage hearing.
C) Ear buds are far too expensive to buy.
D) Ear buds may impede student learning.

Submit

Hint

The correct answer is C) Earbuds are far too expensive to buy.

Explanation:

Throughout the passage, the author never mentioned anything about the price of headphones. However, he did discuss how headphones destroy communities (par. 4), impede student learning (par. 3), and damage hearing (par. 5).

I took the test hope this helps :)

answer: a

explanation:

i have learned a great many things from participating in varsity football. it has changed my entire outlook on and attitude toward life. before my freshman year at [high-school], i was shy, had low self-esteem and turned away from seemingly impossible challenges. football has altered all of these qualities. on the first day of freshman practice, the team warmed up with a game of touch football. the players were split up and the game began. however, during the game, i noticed that i didn't run as hard as i could, nor did i try to evade my defender and get open. the fact of the matter is that i really did not want to be thrown the ball. i didn't want to be the one at fault if i dropped the ball and the play didn't succeed. i did not want the responsibility of the team because i was too afraid of making a mistake. that aspect of my character led the first years of my high school life. i refrained from asking questions in class, afraid they might be considered too stupid or dumb by my classmates. all the while, i went to practice and everyday, i went home physically and mentally exhausted.

yet my apprehension prevailed as i continued to fear getting put in the game in case another player was injured. i was still afraid of making mistakes and getting blamed by screaming coaches and angry teammates. sometimes these fears came true. during my sophomore season, my position at backup guard led me to play in the varsity games on many occasions. on such occasions, i often made mistakes. most of the time the mistakes were not significant; they rarely changed the outcome of a play. yet i received a thorough verbal lashing at practice for the mistakes i had made. these occurrences only compounded my fears of playing. however, i did not always make mistakes. sometimes i made great plays, for which i was congratulated. now, as i dawn on my senior year of football and am faced with two starting positions, i feel like a changed person.

over the years, playing football has taught me what it takes to succeed. from months of tough practices, i have gained a hard work ethic. from my coaches and fellow teammates, i have learned to work well with others in a group, as it is necessary to cooperate with teammates on the playing field. but most important, i have also gained self-confidence. if i fail, it doesn't matter if they mock or ridicule me; i'll just try again and do it better. i realize that it is necessary to risk failure in order to gain success. the coaches have always said before games that nothing is impossible; i know that now. now, i welcome the challenge. whether i succeed or fail is irrelevant; it is only important that i have tried and tested myself.

the topic of this essay is how the applicant has matured and changed since his freshman year. he focuses on football. one of the strengths of this essay is that it is well organized. the applicant clearly put time into the structure and planning of this essay. he uses the platform of football to discuss and demonstrate his personal growth and development through the high school years. what he could have done better was spend more time describing himself after he made improvements. as it is, he only tells us about his newfound confidence and drive. this essay would have been stronger had he actually shown us, perhaps by including a story or describing an event where his confidence made a difference

explanation: