A Blurry Worldview

Question

(1) In school, have you ever struggled to see what the teacher wrote on the board? Maybe you can easily read from a book, but things farther away-like highway signs-look blurry. This blurry distant vision is the main symptom of myopia, a condition that affects about a third of American adults. If you have myopia, you'll have trouble seeing things far away, but you'll be able to see nearby things clearly. This is why myopia is commonly called nearsightedness. Other symptoms of myopia include headaches, eyestrain, and squinting.

(2) Myopia typically begins in childhood. "Children often don't realize they are myopic," says Dr. Mary Frances Cotch of the National Eye Institute, "because myopia develops gradually and they don't have any way of knowing that their blurry vision is different from others'." In most cases, the degree of nearsightedness stabilizes by the time a person reaches adulthood. Some people, however, may have myopia that continues to worsen with age.

(3) So what causes this vision problem? Consider how the eye works. When you look at an object, the light rays of that object pass through the outermost layer of the eye (the cornea) and the lens. The cornea and the lens refract, or bend, the light and focus it on the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (the retina). If you have perfect vision, the rays focus directly on the surface of the retina. In a myopic eye, the eyeball is usually too long from front to back. This causes light rays to focus at a point in front of the retina, rather than directly on its surface. This makes distant objects appear blurry.

(4) Myopia can also be the result of a cornea that is too curved or a lens that is too thick. For some, myopia is caused by a combination of these problems.

(5) What causes the eyeball to grow too long isn't completely known, but researchers are exploring several possibilities. For many people, myopia appears to be inherited, so if you have a parent with myopia, you're at increased risk for developing it yourself.

(6) Myopia is becoming increasingly common, both in the U.S. and around the world. In a study published in 2008, experts found that the number of Americans with myopia increased significantly from the 1970s to the early 2000s. And myopia is especially prominent among school-age children living in urban areas in some Asian countries.

(7) Researchers are looking to see if and how myopia might be related to a person's sex, age, ethnicity, and environmental exposures-such as sunlight or the amount of time spent doing close-up work. In the past, experts thought that myopia might arise in children who spent too much time indoors reading and writing-activities that require close-up vision-or from reading in poorly lit rooms. Recent studies, however, suggest that increased myopia in children might instead be related to kids spending less time outdoors. Continued investigation into how myopia develops will help researchers more precisely determine the potential causes and influences.

Adapted from NIH News in Health, "A Blurry Worldview: Understanding Myopia"

Question 1
What is the main focus of the text?(1 point)
Responses

an overview of myopia
an overview of myopia

the dangers of myopia
the dangers of myopia

cutting-edge research about myopia
cutting-edge research about myopia
Question 2
Order the key details to create a summary of the text.(1 point)
Arrange responses in the correct order to answer the question. Select a response, navigate to the desired position and insert response at that position. Responses can be selected and inserted using the space bar, enter key, left mouse button or touchpad. Responses can be moved using the up and down arrow keys or by dragging with a mouse.
Question 3
How do the third and fourth paragraphs work together?(1 point)
Responses

They explain how something works and then how it can be improved.
They explain how something works and then how it can be improved.

They offer a scientific explanation and then a non-scientific one.
They offer a scientific explanation and then a non-scientific one.

They present a primary cause and then other potential causes.
They present a primary cause and then other potential causes.
Question 4
Where would a discussion of planned research fit best?(1 point)
Responses

the fourth paragraph
the fourth paragraph

the sixth paragraph
the sixth paragraph

the seventh paragraph
the seventh paragraph
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Answer 1

Question 1: What is the main focus of the text?

Response: an overview of myopia

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Question 2: Order the key details to create a summary of the text.

1. Myopia, or nearsightedness, affects about a third of American adults and is characterized by difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.
2. It typically begins in childhood and often stabilizes in adulthood, although it can worsen for some.
3. The condition results from the eye's shape, where the eyeball is too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina.
4. Myopia may also arise from a cornea that is too curved or a lens that is too thick.
5. The causes of the eyeball's growth are not completely understood, but genetics likely play a role.
6. Myopia has become increasingly common, particularly among school-age children in urban areas.
7. Researchers are investigating various factors, including environmental influences, to understand myopia better.

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Question 3: How do the third and fourth paragraphs work together?

Response: They present a primary cause and then other potential causes.

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Question 4: Where would a discussion of planned research fit best?

Response: the seventh paragraph