The author's tone is enthusiastic and assertive, advocating for the inclusion of comic books, specifically "Black Panther," in educational settings. Phrases like "the time is ripe" suggest urgency and excitement about the current cultural relevance of the comic. Additionally, the reference to the Black Panther's actions as a "powerful statement" conveys a sense of significance and importance, highlighting the comic's historical context tied to the civil rights movement. This passionate language emphasizes the potential impact of comic books as legitimate teaching tools.
""Black Panther" Comic Books Belong in Classroom"
by David Cutler
Opinion: Why ‘Black Panther’ and other comic books belong in the classroom
With the massive success of “Black Panther,” the latest blockbuster from Marvel, the time is ripe for educators to embrace comic books as legitimate teaching and learning tools.
The movie is based on the superhero created by comic book legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in “Fantastic Four” #52, released in 1966. In that issue, for what turns out to be a defensible reason, the Black Panther, or T’Challa as he is also known, single-handedly takes down each member of the powerful all-white superhero team. During the height of the civil rights movement, this was a powerful statement indeed, providing a clear allegory to the tumultuous time.
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Question
Use the article excerpt to answer the question.
In 3–5 sentences, explain the author’s tone. Give examples of words from the text that help make the author’s tone clear and explain their effect.
(4 points)
5 answers
by Jason Daley
One of the most basic and necessary pieces of equipment in a medical lab is a centrifuge. Often bulky and expensive, this device (in the most simple terms) spins things. And spinning things like blood can separate out its components, allowing doctors to diagnose diseases like malaria. But the lack of electricity and resources in rural regions around the world means no centrifuge. Now, a simple new 20-cent gadget could change all that, and it's based on an unusual source of inspiration: the whirligig.
"There are more than a billion people around the world who have no infrastructure, no roads, no electricity," says Manu Prakash, a physical biologist at Stanford and inventor of the new gadget. When he visited Uganda in 2013 he found that clinics either did not have centrifuges or didn't have the juice to power them. “One clinic used its broken centrifuge as a doorstop,” Prakash tells Devin Powell at Nature.
"I realized that if we wanted to solve a critical problem like malaria diagnosis, we needed to design a human-powered centrifuge that costs less than a cup of coffee,” Prakash says in a press release.
When he returned to Stanford, Parkash began brainstorming ideas with one of his post-docs, Saad Bhamla, examining at all sorts of spinning things, reports Madeline K. Sofia at NPR. They quickly began focusing on old-school, preindustrial toys like yo-yos and whirligigs.
“One night I was playing with a button and string, and out of curiosity, I set up a high-speed camera to see how fast a button whirligig would spin. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Bhamla says in the press release. The button was rotating at 10,000 to 15,000 rpms.
The pair began prototyping small hand-powered centrifuges based on the whirligig principle. Their final model, the Paperfuge, spins at 125,000 rpm, the equivalent of a centrifuge costing $1,000 to $5,000, according to the press release.
The Paperfuge is made of a disk of paper coated in a polymer, reports Sofia. The disk is attached to two pieces of wood or PVC pipe via string. When the strings are pulled, the disk in the middle spins, acting as a centrifuge for a blood sample attached to the center of the disk. The team describes their work in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Prakash and Bhamla recently returned from successful field trials of the Paperfuge in Madagascar where they used it to test for malaria. While the gadget only takes two minutes to separate blood, reports The Economist, it takes 15 minutes of whirligigging for malaria-diagnosing separations.
Once the blood is separated, however, it needs to be examined by a microscope. Luckily, several years ago Prakash also created the Foldscope, a $1 paper microscope with optical quality similar to conventional microscopes that will begin distribution in 2018.
Question
Use the article to answer the question.
In 3–5 sentences, analyze how the author uses supporting details throughout the text to explain the importance of the paper centrifuge for all communities.
(4 points)
The author employs a variety of supporting details to highlight the significance of the Paperfuge for underserved communities. By starting with the challenges faced due to the lack of electricity and medical infrastructure in rural areas, such as the anecdote about a clinic using a broken centrifuge as a doorstop, the author emphasizes the pressing need for affordable medical solutions. Additionally, the successful field trials in Madagascar demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the Paperfuge in diagnosing malaria, showcasing its ability to provide timely medical diagnoses in regions that otherwise lack essential tools. Finally, the mention of the Paperfuge's low cost and ease of use illustrates its potential for widespread adoption in communities that are often overlooked, reinforcing the idea that such innovations can significantly enhance healthcare access and outcomes in resource-limited settings.
by Corinne Segal
The journalism industry is severely lacking in leadership by women and racial minorities, according to the Nieman Reports story published Wednesday.
This year’s census by the American Society of News Editors (ASNE), which looked at diversity at print newspapers, shows women accounting for 35.4 percent of supervisors. This barely marks an increase from 1999, when women made up 33.8 percent of supervisors. Women run three out of the 25 biggest U.S. titles and one of the top 25 international titles. They make up 37.2 percent of overall newspaper employees, a whole three-tenths of a percent increase from 1999. Racial minorities fare even worse, comprising 13 percent of overall employees.
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Question
Use the article to answer the question.
In 3–5 sentences, write an objective summary of the article.
(4 points)
The article "Why Journalism Has A Gender Problem" by Corinne Segal discusses the ongoing lack of diversity in leadership roles within the journalism industry, particularly concerning women and racial minorities. According to the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) census, women hold only 35.4 percent of supervisory positions, a slight increase from 33.8 percent in 1999, and they lead only a small number of major U.S. and international publications. Additionally, women represent 37.2 percent of all newspaper employees, while racial minorities comprise only 13 percent of the overall workforce. The article highlights the slow progress and persistent issues surrounding diversity in journalism.