Page 184 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 2.15
continued
6 It would be incorrect, however, to conclude that using a cellphone while driving is no worse than engaging in one of these other activities. First, it’s not known how much these other distractions affect driving (though that would be an interesting study).
7 Second, talking on a cellphone is a particular social interaction, with demands different from a conversation with a passenger. Not responding in a cellphone conversation, for instance, can be interpreted as rude behavior.
8 By contrast, a passenger in a car is more likely to be aware of the competing demands for a driver’s attention. Indeed there is recent experimental evidence suggesting that passengers and drivers suppress conversation in response to driving demands.
9 Third, with spoken language, a listener cannot willfully stop the processing of a spoken utterance. These considerations suggest that talking on cellphones while driving can be a risky choice, not just for common sense reasons, but because of the way our brains work.
Second Read
• Reread the passage to answer these text-dependent comprehension questions.
• Write any additional questions you have about the text in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
10.Knowledge and Ideas: What evidence do the writers provide to support their claim that spoken language can degrade driving performance?
11.Craft and Structure: What transition words do the writers use to navigate the reader through their argument?
Working from the Text
12.Choose two pieces of relevant and convincing information that support the authors’ claim. Quote as much of the original material as is necessary. Write your responses in the My Notes section on this page.
Examples:
• “We found that listening comprehension tasks drew mental resources away from driving and produced a deterioration in driving performance.”
• “The parietal lobe activation associated with spatial processing in driving decreased by 37 percent when participants concurrently listened to the sentences.”
my Notes
Unit 2 • The Challenge of Utopia 157
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.