Reading for Understanding,
Analysis and Evaluation
Screening out the downside to
technology
Tone Question
Possible tones:
• Humorous
• Conversational/chatty
• Persuasive
• Dismissive
• Ironic
• Serious/Formal
• Emotive (to make the reader feel a certain
emotion.)
Tone Question
Paragraph 1 (lines 1-4) differs in tone from the rest of the
article.
Explain what the difference is and show how the writer’s use
of language in the first paragraph helps to achieve this. 4
Psst! Are
Are you
you troubled
troubled by
Psst!
by technology?
technology? When
Whenlying
lyingalone
aloneininthe
darkdark
do you
everever
imagine
that that
your your
iPhone,
iPad and
the
do you
imagine
iPhone,
iPadlaptop
and are
laptop
are all
you;
that the master/servant
all ganging
upganging
on you; up
thatonthe
master/servant
relationship has
relationship
and that
youbeck
are now
at their
been reveredhas
andbeen
thatrevered
you are now
at their
and call?
Ok,
beck and call? Ok, perhaps that one is just for my and my
perhaps that
one
is just for
mythere’s
personal
digital
terrors,
personal
digital
terrors,
butmy
it’sand
clear
a lot
of fretting
but it’s
clear
there’s a lot
fretting
over
what
technology
hasofgiven
us.over what technology has
given us.
Question 1 Answer (4)
Quotes with explanation for 2+2 points.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
‘Psst!’
Use of the question ‘Are you
•
troubled…?’
‘ganging’
•
‘do you ever imagine’
‘Ok’
‘master/servant relationship’
•
‘digital terrors’
‘personal’
‘Troubled by technology’ (alliteration)
Chatty as if they are speaking to the
reader as a friend through use of
informal language (or punctuation)
Conversational as they are directly
addressing the reader and talking
about their own fears.
Humerous as use of informal language
makes it appear amusing to the reader.
Emotive as it uses language to create
over-the-top scienarios to elicit
emotion from the reader.
Lighthearted as the alliteration creates
a playful tone.
Question 2
‘it’s clear there’s a lot of fretting over what technology has
given us.’ (line 4)
By detailed reference to the text, show how the writer’s use of
word choice develops this idea in the sentence beginning “the
‘Google effect’” (line 7). 4
‘The ‘Google
where
toto
‘The
‘Google effect’
effect’means
meansthat
thatnow
nowwe
weknow
know
where
retrieve information
it once
wewe
have
retrieve
information(but
(butthen
thencan't
can'tremember
remember
it once
have
and
our obsession
with electronic
andmedia
socialis,
foundfound
it) andit)our
obsession
with electronic
and social
media
is, according
various
reports,
to a rise in
according
to various to
reports,
leading
to aleading
rise in narcissistic
narcissistic
personality
disorder,
andwhile
depression,
personality disorder,
addiction
andaddiction
depression,
teenagers
while teenagers are using shorter sentences, simple tenses
are using
shorter
sentences, simple tenses and limited
and
limited
vocabulary.
vocabulary.
Question 2 Answer (4)
Quotes with explanation for 2+2 points.
• ‘obsession’ – suggests we have a preoccupation/compulsion/addiction and
cannot distance ourselves
• ‘narcissistic’ – suggests that technology is making people self-obsessed or
self-involved
• ‘addiction’ – people are dependent/abusing technology like a drug
• ‘depression’ – technology is making people unhappy
• ‘shorter’ – writing is more concise suggesting people are not as intelligent
• ‘simple’ – not complex or elaborate
• ‘limited’ – lacking a variety of knowledge of language
Question 3: Link Question
Explain how the one-sentence paragraph in lines
12-14 works well as a link at this point in the
passage.
For too
too long
long critics
the
negatives
For
criticshave
havefocused
focusedonon
the
negatives
associated with
immersion
in in
associated
withsocial
socialmedia
mediaand
andour
our
immersion
Twitter and Facebook,
is is
actually
Twitter
Facebook,yet
yettoday
todaywriting
writing
actually
overtaking speech
form
of of
overtaking
speechas
asthe
themost
mostcommon
common
form
human
whichis isa genuine
a genuine
human communication
communication ––which
paradigm
shift.
paradigm shift.
Question 3: Link Question Answer (2)
1 point for the link back and 1 for the link forward.
‘Negatives associated with social media’ links back
to the previous paragraphs which discusses and
gives examples of the undesirable aspects of
technology. ‘Yet today’ suggests the change in
argument as the writer goes on to examine how
writing has changed because of technology.
Question 4: Imagery Question
Choose one of the following image:
‘…beamed through the electronic prism...’
‘...have they also become the bricks of our
electronic prison?’
‘...the concertina effect on language...’
Explain what your chosen image means and
analyse its effectiveness. (3)
Question 4: Imagery Question Answer
(3)
1 point for explaining the image and 2 for a detailed analysis of how
effective it is.
‘…beamed through the electronic prism...’
• light is flitered through a prism that disperses it. This is effective as
it suggestes how the things that we think and do are shared/spread
throughout the world through technology and social media.
‘...have they also become the bricks of our electronic prison?’
• the technology in our lives has created a wall around us. It is
effective because it suggests how technology imprisons/isolates us
from each other and the world we live in.
‘...the concertina effect on language...’
• Creates the image of a concertina (or accordian) being played by
pressing the sides and compressing the folds. This suggests that
language is being compressed, or simplifed, as how we type on
social media starts to influence how we speak.
Question 5
Look at lines 40-48. In your own words, explain Professor Greenfield’s main
concern and then explain how, and how well, her language conveys the
strength of her concern. (5)
‘that if something as innocuous as imagining a piano lesson can bring about a
visible physical change in brain structure, what changes might long stints of
playing violent computer games bring about?’
‘Alarmingly hollow’
‘the screen-based, two-dimensional world that so many teenagers …choose
to inhabit is producing changes in behaviour’
‘It’s almost as if something hasn’t really happened until it has been posted...’
Question 5 Answer (5)
Maximum of 3 points explaining concern. 1 point for language and 1 for explanation.
Concerns:
–
–
–
Computer games might effect a person’s ideas about aggression/violence.
Spending large amounts of time online alters how people act.
Social media is how information is spread or sharing on social media makes an event a reality.
Language:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Image ‘alarmingly hollow’ – no substance to this claim.
‘imagining’ – italics places emphasis on how just thinking about something can make impacts on the brain (so what
about violence?)
Use of questions – forces reader to think.
Colon introducing the list – demonstrates the lengthy effects that use of technology has,
Parenthesis – emphasises that it is not just children.
‘screen-shaped eyes’ – image forces us to image someone who has spent so much time with a screen they have
started to look like one.
‘games-driven generation’ – shows how deeply influence these teenagers are by video games.
Question 6
Using your own words as far as possible, explain fully
what the ‘irony’ is (line 55). 4
The irony is that, ‘digital natives’ – children born into
The
is that,
‘digital
natives’
childrenthe
borniPad
intoisthis
this irony
new age
– are
enjoying
the –benefits:
far
new age – are enjoying the benefits: the iPad is far from
from passive,
the technology
touch technology
is as
passive,
as theas
touch
is as understandable
to a
understandable
to building
a very young
child
as building
a
very
young child as
a brick
tower;
babies and
brick tower;
babies
andfrom
toddlers
learn
more
from
toddlers
can learn
more
iPadscan
than
from
the books
they
yet read;
tapping
thecannot
screen yet
andread;
being
iPadscannot
than from
the books
they
corrected
immediately
be instructive
allows them
tapping the
screen andcan
being
corrected and
immediately
to
information
cantake
be in
instructive
andaccurately.
allows them to take in
information accurately.
Question 6 Answer (4)
1 point each for any of the following (no points if
own words are not used):
• Although studies suggested that technology was
bad for the development of young children, it
might actually be useful.
• Tablets encourage interaction.
• Touch screens are easy for children to use.
• Very young children who cannot read can
respond to what is on the screen.
• Screens offers instant corrections to mistakes.
Question 7
Look at the final paragraph (lines 64-69).
Identify the writer’s attitude to the ‘wonders of the digital
world’ and give evidence to support your answer. 2
The
wonders of
ofthe
thedigital
digitalworld
worldwill
willonly
onlyincrease
increase
and,
if the
The wonders
and,
if the
development
ofcivilisation
civilisationhas
hastaught
taughtususanything,
anything,
it that
is that
development of
it is
all all
things new are treated at first with suspicion and fear. Comic
things new
treated
at first
with suspicion
and fear.
Comic on
books
in theare
1950s
were
considered
a corrupting
influence
books
in the
were
a corrupting
influence
onwe
the
the
youth
of 1950s
the day,
justconsidered
as computer
games are
today. So
should
the
Greeks
(who did
so love
new gadgetyouth ofturn
the to
day,
just
as computer
games
areatoday.
So we should
water
gear, screw,
etc.)
thewater
wordsclock,
of
turn toclock,
the Greeks
(who did
so and
love remember
a new gadgetAristotle:
‘moderation
in all things’.
gear, screw,
etc.) and remember
the words of Aristotle:
‘moderation in all things’.
Question 7 Answer (2)
1 point for attitude. 1 point for explanation that references the text
(quote or summary)
Attitude:
• Cautious, but accepting of the possibilities that technology could
bring.
Reference:
• ‘Wonders’ – positive, suggests great things to come.
• Reference to the comic books – something we see as harmless now.
• ‘water clock, gear, screw’ – all useful things, just as technology
could be.
• ‘moderation in all things’ – as long as we use it sensibly it could be
an asset in our lives.
Question 8: Summary Question
Consider the passage as a whole and then, using
your own words as far as possible, summarise
the key points the writer makes about the
benefits and disadvantages of technology. 6
Question 8 Answer (6)
1 point for each disadvantage and advantage (no points if own words are not
used):
Advantages:
• Easy for young children to engage with.
• Writing is becoming the most used form of interaction.
Disadvantages:
• Technology has negatively affected face to face interaction.
• Violent video games are suggestive.
• People rely too heavily on social media to tell others about the events of
their lives.
• People find it harder to pay attention.
• Language is being simplified and generally less complex.
• People are becoming more self-obsessed.