http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alenahall/techkillinghumanconnection_b_6995256.

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TechnologyisTakingOvertheWorldandIamNotOkayWithIt

(1)There is a difference between utilizing technology to create efficiencies and to dissolve

perfectly natural, human connections. I encountered that difference two weeks ago at LaGuardia
Airport.
Arriving at Terminal C an hour before my flight home to visit my parents, I wanted to grab an
(5)iced coffee on my walk over to my gate. I knew the terminal was
undergoing serious
renovations
and had been so since 2012. Each time I traveled, I was struck by yet another
change -- the expansive food court, the multitude of phone charging stations, the iPads built into
seating booths near some of the gates. And on this trip, I experienced the latest installation -"automated" ordering and paying at the corner coffee and convenience stores.
(10)I walked up to the coffee counter --
yesss, no line!
-- and made eye contact with the barista
to begin placing my order.
"Hi, can I please have a --"
"I"m sorry ma'am, I can't help you," she cut me off. "You need to type your order into the
screen."
(15)I stared back at her with what I assume was a completely blank expression on my face.
"Well wait, what are you ordering?" she asked.
"Just an iced coffee," I replied.
"Oh, then yeah, you have to use the screen," she said as she turned away from me and pointed to
her right, where the ordering tablet was located.
(20)Miffed but still wanting my coffee, I obliged, finding "cold brew" in the digital menu,
submitting my order and taking the receipt it printed for me.
Well, that was unnecessary,
I
mumbled to myself as I walked to the other end of the counter where the barista already had my
iced coffee prepared for me. She turned away from me before I could offer a quick "thank you,"
so I made my way over the the cash register (why ordering and paying couldn't be done at the
(25)same time, I do not know).
Standing idly next to the two cash registers, which were actually additional tablets, was yet
another woman. She must have noticed my intention, because before I could even open my
mouth, she said, "I'm sorry ma'am, I can't help you. You must use the screen." Really?!
It turns out that she
could
help me when I couldn't get the barcode from my f
irst
receipt to scan
(30)on the
second
tablet to pay for the most frustrating iced coffee of my life. Also, "cash" and
"register" are two words that can no longer be placed next to one another -- that whopping
$3.48 went on my credit card despite my protests because tablets do not accept cash (
duh
).
Coffee in hand, I shuffled through the terminal feeling the most perplexing combination of
confusion, rage and isolation. FROM THE MOST MUNDANE PURCHASE EVER.

(35)While this rant pertains to what I normally consider to be a non-event, I feel like the
implications behind my coffee-buying experience speak volumes about a new way we are using
technology -- and not for the better. Technology obviously serves to automate certain jobs, but
some jobs simply shouldn't be automated.
The role of a barista, for example, is typically a personal one -- at least the way I've come to
(40)appreciate it. You exchange greetings, share your name, receive one of the most important
beverages of the day
just the way you like it
and say thank you. That simple-but-pleasant
connection is no less efficient than this "automated" system; in fact, I'm pretty convinced man
handles it better than machine. Yes, we can actually take an order, fulfill it
and
operate a cash
register in a third of the time it took these three tablet installations and two disengaged
(45)employees two weeks ago.
Now I understand that the change is new to LaGuardia, and that requiring a person to stand
there and parrot, "Use the screen, use the screen," is only a temporary solution until people
come to expect that that's how it's done. However, I DON'T WANT TO COME TO EXPECT
THAT. I don't want
another machine replacing another human connection
, no matter how
(50)small or short that connection may be. We talk about "
disconnecting from technology to
reconnect with others
," but changes like this achieve the exact opposite.
Call me old-fashioned. Call me intolerant. But I want to order and pay for my coffee with
another human being, not a collection of cold, redundant and incredibly irritating glowing
machines. Is that so much to ask?
Questions:
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.

What is the author trying to convey?

A current issue
A personal story
A fact
An example

2. In line 34, the word mundane means

A.
B.
C.
D.

repetitive
earthly
ordinary
dull

3. How does the author convey her message?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Cause and effect

Main idea and evidence
An experience
A short story

4. Why does she feel that the increase of technology is bad?

A. Computers make better coffee
B. It is unnecessary

C. It takes makes experiences less personal and is unnecessary

D. It is bad for the environment
5. In line 9, why is the word automated in parenthesis?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Sarcasm
Irony
Mocking
Its a quote

6. Why do her experiences speak volumes?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Tells the audience to never go to a coffee counter in La Guardia

It shows how technology is inconsistent
It shows how technology is making everything more complicated
Technology isnt being used for the better and is unnecessary

7. In lines 30-31, why cant the words cash and register be used together?
A. It does not match the literal definition anymore due to the decrease in use of cash and
the fact that they dont accept cash
B. The words dont sound right together
C. The word cash is not used anymore
D. It is illegal
8. In line 6, why is the author struck by all the changes?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Shes never seen the expansions before

Shes struck by the rapid increase of technology nowadays
She loves charging ports
Its so different than before and she is confused

9. Why did she feel enraged and confused after ordering coffee?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Shes frustrated that she didnt know how to order

Her coffee tasted bad
The technology was unnecessary and made the experience inefficient and complicated
It was expensive

10. Why does she feel disconnecting from technology is good?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Connecting with humans is important and more welcoming than a screen

Technology can cause diseases
Technology has too much error
It isnt beneficial to the world

Against School
http://www.wesjones.com/gatto1.htm

(1)D
owereallyneedschool?Idon'tmeaneducation,justforcedschooling:sixclassesaday,fivedaysa
week,ninemonthsayear,fortwelveyears.Isthisdeadlyroutinereallynecessary?Andifso,forwhat?
Don'thidebehindreading,writing,andarithmeticasarationale,because2millionhappyhomeschoolers
havesurelyputthatbanaljustificationtorest.Eveniftheyhadn't,aconsiderablenumber(5)of
wellknownAmericansneverwentthroughthetwelveyearwringerourkidscurrentlygothrough,and
theyturnedoutalright.GeorgeWashington,BenjaminFranklin,ThomasJefferson,AbrahamLincoln?
Someonetaughtthem,tobesure,buttheywerenotproductsofaschoolsystem,andnotoneofthemwas
ever"graduated"fromasecondaryschool.ThroughoutmostofAmericanhistory,kidsgenerallydidn'tgo
tohighschool,yettheunschooledrosetobeadmirals,likeFarragutinventors,like(10)Edisoncaptains
ofindustry,likeCarnegieandRockefellerwriters,likeMelvilleandTwainandConradandeven
scholars,likeMargaretMead.Infact,untilprettyrecentlypeoplewhoreachedtheageofthirteenweren't
lookeduponaschildrenatall.ArielDurant,whocowroteanenormous,andverygood,multivolume
historyoftheworldwithherhusband,Will,washappilymarriedatfifteen,andwhocouldreasonably
claimthatArielDurantwasanuneducatedperson?Unschooled,perhaps,butnot(15)uneducated.
Wehavebeentaught(thatis,schooled)inthiscountrytothinkof"success"assynonymouswith,orat
leastdependentupon,"schooling,"buthistoricallythatisn'ttrueineitheranintellectualorafinancial
sense.Andplentyofpeoplethroughouttheworldtodayfindawaytoeducatethemselveswithout
resortingtoasystemofcompulsorysecondaryschoolsthatalltoooftenresembleprisons.Why,then,do
(20)Americansconfuseeducationwithjustsuchasystem?Whatexactlyisthepurposeofourpublic
schools?
MassschoolingofacompulsorynaturereallygotitsteethintotheUnitedStatesbetween1905and1915,
thoughitwasconceivedofmuchearlierandpushedforthroughoutmostofthenineteenthcentury.The
reasongivenforthisenormousupheavaloffamilylifeandculturaltraditionswas,roughlyspeaking,
(25)threefold:
1)Tomakegoodpeople.
2)Tomakegoodcitizens.
3)Tomakeeachpersonhisorherpersonalbest.
Thesegoalsarestilltrottedouttodayonaregularbasis,andmostofusaccepttheminoneformor
(30)anotherasadecentdefinitionofpubliceducation'smission,howevershortschoolsactuallyfallin
achievingthem.Butwearedeadwrong.Compoundingourerroristhefactthatthenationalliterature
holdsnumerousandsurprisinglyconsistentstatementsofcompulsoryschooling'struepurpose.Wehave,
forexample,thegreatH.L.Mencken,whowrotein
TheAmericanMercury
forApril1924thattheaimof
publiceducationisnottofilltheyoungofthespecieswithknowledgeandawakentheirintelligence..
(35)..Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.Theaimissimplytoreduceasmanyindividualsas
possibletothesamesafelevel,tobreedandtrainastandardizedcitizenry,toputdowndissentand
originality.ThatisitsaimintheUnitedStates...andthatisitsaimeverywhereelse.
BecauseofMencken'sreputationasasatirist,wemightbetemptedtodismissthispassageasabitof
hyperbolicsarcasm.Hisarticle,however,goesontotracethetemplateforourowneducationalsystem

(40)certainlyawareoftheironythatwehadrecentlybeenatwarwithGermany,theheirtoPrussian
thoughtandculture,Menckenwasbeingperfectlyserioushere.OureducationalsystemreallyisPrussian
inorigin,andthatreallyiscauseforconcern.
TheoddfactofaPrussianprovenanceforourschoolspopsupagainandagainonceyouknowtolookfor
it.WilliamJamesalludedtoitmanytimesattheturnofthecentury.OrestesBrownson,theheroof
(45)ChristopherLasch's1991book,
TheTrueandOnlyHeaven
,waspubliclydenouncingthe
PrussianizationofAmericanschoolsbackinthe1840s.HoraceMann's"SeventhAnnualReport"tothe
MassachusettsStateBoardofEducationin1843isessentiallyapaeantothelandofFredericktheGreat
andacallforitsschoolingtobebroughthere.ThatPrussiancultureloomedlargeinAmericaishardly
surprising,givenourearlyassociationwiththatutopianstate.APrussianservedasWashington'saide
(50)duringtheRevolutionaryWar,andsomanyGermanspeakingpeoplehadsettledhereby1795that
CongressconsideredpublishingaGermanlanguageeditionofthefederallaws.Butwhatshocksisthat
weshouldsoeagerlyhaveadoptedoneoftheveryworstaspectsofPrussianculture:aneducational
systemdeliberatelydesignedtoproducemediocreintellects,tohamstringtheinnerlife,todenystudents
appreciableleadershipskills,andtoensuredocileandincompletecitizensallinordertorenderthe
(55)populace"manageable."

I
twasfromJamesBryantConantpresidentofHarvardfortwentyyears,WWIpoisongasspecialist,
WWIIexecutiveontheatomicbombproject,highcommissioneroftheAmericanzoneinGermanyafter
WWII,andtrulyoneofthemostinfluentialfiguresofthetwentiethcenturythatIfirstgotwindofthe
realpurposesofAmericanschooling.WithoutConant,wewouldprobablynothavethesamestyleand
(60)degreeofstandardizedtestingthatweenjoytoday,norwouldwebeblessedwithgargantuanhigh
schoolsthatwarehouse2,000to4,000studentsatatime,likethefamousColumbineHighinLittleton,
Colorado.ShortlyafterIretiredfromteachingIpickedupConant's1959booklengthessay,
TheChild
theParentandtheState
,andwasmorethanalittleintriguedtoseehimmentioninpassingthatthe
modernschoolsweattendweretheresultofa"revolution"engineeredbetween1905and1930.A
(65)revolution?Hedeclinestoelaborate,buthedoesdirectthecuriousandtheuninformedtoAlexander
Inglis's1918book,
PrinciplesofSecondaryEducation
,inwhich"onesawthisrevolutionthroughthe
eyesofarevolutionary."
Inglis,forwhomalectureineducationatHarvardisnamed,makesitperfectlyclearthatcompulsory
schoolingonthiscontinentwasintendedtobejustwhatithadbeenforPrussiainthe1820s:afifth
(70)columnintotheburgeoningdemocraticmovementthatthreatenedtogivethepeasantsandthe
proletariansavoiceatthebargainingtable.Modern,industrialized,compulsoryschoolingwastomakea
sortofsurgicalincisionintotheprospectiveunityoftheseunderclasses.Dividechildrenbysubject,by
agegrading,byconstantrankingsontests,andbymanyothermoresubtlemeans,anditwasunlikelythat
theignorantmassofmankind,separatedinchildhood,wouldeverreintegrateintoadangerous(75)whole.
Inglisbreaksdownthepurposetheactualpurposeofmodemschoolingintosixbasicfunctions,any
oneofwhichisenoughtocurlthehairofthoseinnocentenoughtobelievethethreetraditionalgoals
listedearlier:
1)The
adjustive
or
adaptive
function.Schoolsaretoestablishfixedhabitsofreactiontoauthority.This,
(80)ofcourse,precludescriticaljudgmentcompletely.Italsoprettymuchdestroystheideathatusefulor

interestingmaterialshouldbetaught,becauseyoucan'ttestforreflexiveobedienceuntilyouknow
whetheryoucanmakekidslearn,anddo,foolishandboringthings.
2)The
integrating
function.Thismightwellbecalled"theconformityfunction,"becauseitsintentionis
tomakechildrenasalikeaspossible.Peoplewhoconformarepredictable,andthisisofgreatuseto
(85)thosewhowishtoharnessandmanipulatealargelaborforce.
3)The
diagnosticanddirective
function.Schoolismeanttodetermineeachstudent'spropersocialrole.
Thisisdonebyloggingevidencemathematicallyandanecdotallyoncumulativerecords.Asin"your
permanentrecord."Yes,youdohaveone.
4)The
differentiating
function.Oncetheirsocialrolehasbeen"diagnosed,"childrenaretobesortedby
(90)roleandtrainedonlysofarastheirdestinationinthesocialmachinemeritsandnotonestepfurther.
Somuchformakingkidstheirpersonalbest.
5)The
selective
function.ThisrefersnottohumanchoiceatallbuttoDarwin'stheoryofnaturalselection
asappliedtowhathecalled"thefavoredraces."Inshort,theideaistohelpthingsalongbyconsciously
attemptingtoimprovethebreedingstock.Schoolsaremeanttotagtheunfitwithpoor(95)grades,
remedialplacement,andotherpunishmentsclearlyenoughthattheirpeerswillacceptthemasinferior
andeffectivelybarthemfromthereproductivesweepstakes.That'swhatallthoselittlehumiliationsfrom
firstgradeonwardwereintendedtodo:washthedirtdownthedrain.
6)The
propaedeutic
function.Thesocietalsystemimpliedbytheseruleswillrequireanelitegroupof
caretakers.Tothatend,asmallfractionofthekidswillquietlybetaughthowtomanagethiscontinuing
(100)project,howtowatchoverandcontrolapopulationdeliberatelydumbeddownanddeclawedin
orderthatgovernmentmightproceedunchallengedandcorporationsmightneverwantforobedientlabor.
That,unfortunately,isthepurposeofmandatorypubliceducationinthiscountry.AndlestyoutakeInglis
foranisolatedcrankwitharathertoocynicaltakeontheeducationalenterprise,youshouldknowthathe
washardlyaloneinchampioningtheseideas.Conanthimself,buildingontheideasofHoraceMann
(105)andothers,campaignedtirelesslyforanAmericanschoolsystemdesignedalongthesamelines.
MenlikeGeorgePeabody,whofundedthecauseofmandatoryschoolingthroughouttheSouth,surely
understoodthatthePrussiansystemwasusefulincreatingnotonlyaharmlesselectorateandaservile
laborforcebutalsoavirtualherdofmindlessconsumers.Intimeagreatnumberofindustrialtitanscame
torecognizetheenormousprofitstobehadbycultivatingandtendingjustsuchaherdviapublic
(110)education,amongthemAndrewCarnegieandJohnD.Rockefeller.

1. Whatisthemainpointoftheauthorinparagraph1?
a. Kidsdontneedaneducation
b. Theschoolsystemisnotneededtoachieveagreateducation
c. Kidsmustgotoschool
d. Unschooledanduneducatedisthesame
2. Whatwasthetraditionalreasonthattheschoolsystemstarted?
a. Toallowpeopletoachievetheirfullcapacity
b. Createcitizenswhofollowtherules
c. Createpeoplewhohaveintegrity
d. Alloftheabove

3. Whatdoestheauthorclaimistherealpurposeforschool?
a. Tocreateintelligentindividuals
b. TohelpadvancetheU.S.
c. Tocreatebanalandamenablecitizens
d. ToamelioratethepeopleoftheU.S.
4. WhydoestheauthorthinktheeducationsystemofPrussiaistheirworstaspect?
a. Itensuresdocilecitizenswhoaremediocreandhavenoindividualthought
b. Itisineffective
c. Itistooharshoncitizens
d. Empirically,itdoesntwork
5. Whattypeofarticleisthis?
a. PersonalNarrative
b. Informative
c. Persuasive
d. Entertaining
6. Howdoestheauthorprocurehismessage?
a. Causeandeffect
b. Intheformofastory
c. Mainideawithevidence
d. Examplesandpiecesfromothers
7. Whatdoesthephrasecurlthehairmeaninline77?
a. Physicallycurlsomeoneshair
b. Makethemhappy
c. Frighten/shocksomeone
d. Leavesomeoneinawe
8. Whatwouldtheauthoragreewithabouttheschoolsystems?
a. Theyareconvolutedandperfidious
b. Theyareequitable
c. Theyendorsealltheircitizens
d. Theyarecongenial
9. Inline77,whydoesherefertopeopleasinnocentenoughtobelievethethreetraditional
goals?
a. Theywereexcitedinbelievingtheoriginalgoals
b. Theyarenaiveenoughtothinkthattheschoolsystemwasmadetobenefitthepeople
c. Theydontunderstandthegoalsoftheschoolsystem
d. Theybelievethethreetraditionalgoals
10. Whatistheauthortryingtoanswer?
a. Whywehaveasetschoolsystemforeducation
b. WhywetookoursystemfromPrussia
c. Whytheschoolsystemishelpful
d. Howpeoplesucceededwithoutschool