Question

In this section, you’ll determine the meaning of words and phrases as they’re used in the text. You’ll also analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats.

You’ve run into some friends, and a few of them are talking about a news article regarding a local school district lifting the cell phone ban during school hours, making it acceptable for learners to use them. This conversation actually goes with an article you’ve been reading in a blog, “As Educational Settings Lift Bans on Cell Phones, Educators Weigh Pros and Cons” by Kinjo Kiema.

After reading the article, your group discusses its effect, specifically in the following sentence.

“Although children have been using cell phones consistently in their daily lives for almost a decade, many educational settings continue to resist allowing the devices during learning time. Educators generally grapple with new technologies, but cell phones’ reputation as a nuisance and a distraction has been hard to dislodge.”

The blogger is focusing on how words can contribute to a reading passage.

The first question they ask is, how does the author’s use of the word grapple contribute to the tone of the article?
Question 1 options:

It reiterates that most parents don't want their children to have access to their phones while participating in educational activities.


It showcases how educators are able to use technology to help enhance learning.


It introduces the idea that children are addicted to their phones and they need help to break their addiction.


It emphasizes the struggle that educators face with cell phones in an educational setting.

Answer 1

It emphasizes the struggle that educators face with cell phones in an educational setting.

"Grapple" connotes wrestling or struggling with a problem, so it creates a tone of difficulty and challenge rather than ease or endorsement.