Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0
Exam: TSIA2 Reading and Writing Practice Test 2
Practice Question
Extract
Read the passage below and then choose the best answer to each question. Answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage
Passage 1
It seems humorous now, but when the telephone made its debut, Western Union executives described it as having "too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication." Someday we might be chuckling over similar claims about social networking sites like Facebook. Some people have declared that communicating through computer screens is a weak substitute for in-person interactions. But many others counter that social media encourage more frequent contact with others and thus enrich our real-life relationships. For these people, social networking sites are an invaluable method of communicating with friends, colleagues, and even family members.
Passage 2
A poll conducted in the United States revealed that nearly half of all citizens believe that social networking is a fad that will quickly pass out of favor. I agree with those people. Social media sites can be fun, but they aren't really important. Just as grabbing a candy bar isn't as nutritionally sound as sitting down for a full meal, having a "conversation" via a social media site is not as fulfilling as socializing with a friend face-to-face. As people come to this realization, they will step away from their computers and make plans to see their friends in person.
Passage 1
It seems humorous now, but when the telephone made its debut, Western Union executives described it as having "too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication." Someday we might be chuckling over similar claims about social networking sites like Facebook. Some people have declared that communicating through computer screens is a weak substitute for in-person interactions. But many others counter that social media encourage more frequent contact with others and thus enrich our real-life relationships. For these people, social networking sites are an invaluable method of communicating with friends, colleagues, and even family members.
Passage 2
A poll conducted in the United States revealed that nearly half of all citizens believe that social networking is a fad that will quickly pass out of favor. I agree with those people. Social media sites can be fun, but they aren't really important. Just as grabbing a candy bar isn't as nutritionally sound as sitting down for a full meal, having a "conversation" via a social media site is not as fulfilling as socializing with a friend face-to-face. As people come to this realization, they will step away from their computers and make plans to see their friends in person.
The author of Passage 2 would most likely say that the opinion held by the "people" mentioned in the third sentence of Passage 1 ("Some people have declared") is
Answer Choices
- A: accurate
- B: unsupported
- C: misguided
- D: amusing
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Passage 2's author agrees that social networking is a weak substitute ('not as fulfilling') for in-person interaction, mirroring the 'people' in Passage 1 who declare computer communication is a 'weak substitute'. They would see that opinion as correct (accurate).