AnswersCommon Core ELA 11 - ELA3011 ICAnticipating the Future through Texts: Visions

A Response to 9/11 by Jonathan Safran Foer Answers

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Read this excerpt from "DNA Testing."DNA samples from insects preserved in amber can date back to before the time of the dinosaurs, which died out 65 million years ago. George Poinar of Oregon State University, for example, has even extracted muscle tissue from a 125-million-year-old Lebanese weevil. This is, says Poinar, “the best preserved protein on the face of the earth.” So far, DNA has been successfully extracted from about a half dozen ancient samples in amber. Select the most accurate summary of Kaku’s argument.

A
Amber has allowed scientists to study DNA that has been preserved over millions of years.
B
Amber’s preservative uses have been studied and explained by scientists at Oregon State University.
C
Amber is an effective preservative for Lebanese weevils, as proven by ancient samples extracted by scientists.
D
Amber can preserve DNA over millions of years; this suggests a new method for preserving culture far into the future.
4

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of Newton’s significance in "Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence"?

A
by describing Newton’s role in the transformation of science
B
by detailing Newton’s most impressive discoveries
C
by comparing Newton’s knowledge to an ocean
D
by criticizing the society that failed to support scientific study
5

How does Michio Kaku illustrate the need for organization of the Internet in "Why No Policeman on the Block?"

A
by criticizing the immaturity of Internet users
B
by using Netscape’s success as an example
C
by detailing government funding for research
D
by quoting Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft
8

What is meant by the term “Magic Mirror” as it is used in "The Intelligent Planet"?

A
an evolved Internet that does research without human input
B
a futuristic home accessory that is capable of answering questions
C
a secretary who is capable of performing accurate research
D
a resource that responds accurately and intuitively
9

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of future Internet intelligence in "The Intelligent Planet"?

A
by comparing the Internet to a magic mirror
B
by recounting the history of rapid Internet growth
C
by describing the impending changes in other scientific fields
D
by offering quantitative research about Internet funding
11

Read this excerpt from "Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence."But the few wondrous shells and pebbles picked up by Newton and other scientists on the seashore helped to trigger a marvelous chain of events. A profound transformation occurred in human society. With Newton’s mechanics came powerful machines, and eventually the steam engine, the motive force which reshaped the world by overturning agrarian society, spawning factories and stimulating commerce, unleashing the industrial revolution, and opening up entire continents with the railroad.Select the most accurate summary of Kaku’s argument.

A
Newton’s scientific study transformed knowledge of the ocean and encouraged countless transformative inventions.
B
Newton’s discoveries led to the invention of machines and the beginning of an industrialized society.
C
Newton’s invention of the steam engine revolutionized transportation around the world.
D
Newton’s followers invented the machines that later stimulated factory productivity and success.
12

Read this excerpt from "Talking Robots."Sejnowski rejected the usual top-down approach to reproducing human speech. He threw out the fat dictionaries of pronunciation and programs brimming with the rules of phonetics and the tedious list of exceptions to all the previous rules, which had no rhyme or reason. Instead, he replaced all this with a surprisingly simple neural circuit. What is the author’s purpose for including this statement?

A
to prove Sejnowski’s credentials
B
to clarify how linguists teach speech
C
to criticize robots with neural circuits
D
to praise Sejnowski’s innovation
13

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of Newton’s significance in "Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence"?

A
by describing Newton’s role in the transformation of science
B
by detailing Newton’s most impressive discoveries
C
by comparing Newton’s knowledge to an ocean
D
by criticizing the society that failed to support scientific study
14

Read this excerpt from "The Intelligent Planet."Hawthorne . . . marveled that this mysterious substance called electricity could transmit signals across thousands of miles and make inert machines spring suddenly to life. What is the meaning of the underlined term?

A
useless
B
modern
C
innovative
D
inactive
15

What is meant by the term “Magic Mirror” as it is used in "The Intelligent Planet"?

A
an evolved Internet that does research without human input
B
a futuristic home accessory that is capable of answering questions
C
a secretary who is capable of performing accurate research
D
a resource that responds accurately and intuitively
16

Read this excerpt from "Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence."With these three fundamental discoveries, triggered by the quantum revolution, the DNA revolution, and the computer revolution, the basic laws of matter, life, and computation were, in the main, finally solved.What is the author’s purpose for including this statement?

A
to praise the impressive work of modern scientists
B
to provide evidence that the age of discovery is concluding
C
to give examples of federally funded scientific discoveries
D
to criticize societies that fail to encourage science
17

How does Michio Kaku establish the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as an “Age of Discovery” in “Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence”?

A
by describing the government support offered to scientists of the time
B
by offering quantitative proof of people’s improved health and lifespans
C
by highlighting the social and religious developments of the era
D
by listing the significant scientific developments of the era
18

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of how the Internet will evolve in "The Intelligent Planet"?

A
by describing the companies that dominate the Internet
B
by providing quantitative research about Internet users
C
by presenting a metaphor of a dirt road being paved
D
by comparing the growth of other scientific fields
19

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of future Internet intelligence in "The Intelligent Planet"?

A
by comparing the Internet to a magic mirror
B
by recounting the history of rapid Internet growth
C
by describing the impending changes in other scientific fields
D
by offering quantitative research about Internet funding
20

How does Michio Kaku establish the importance of allowing the public to access scientific research in "Why No Policeman on the Block?"

A
by explaining residual paranoia from the Cold War
B
by quoting Hawthorne’s idea of an intelligent planet
C
by contrasting secret government projects with public successes
D
by describing the relationships between scientists and engineers

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