Question

marin was in the finals of the speech presentation competition. each student had to give a presentation on whether the school year should be longer. vanessa began by acting, playing a child who was sad that summer was so short. then she explained that making the school year longer would make many children like this one upset. marin was not a good actor, but she had researched the topic well. she gave a simple presentation about why some people thought the school year should be longer and why others thought it should be shorter. she presented facts that showed that students did better in school and forgot less over the summer when the school year was longer. the judges awarded first place to marin and said that she had given better reasons for her opinion and that they were persuaded by her presentation. which statement best describes two themes of this text? a. showing off makes you look bad, and spending more time in school improves learning. b. limitations can lead to creativity, and communicating well is more important than creating a spectacle. c. style in presentation is more important than content, and it is better to try and fail than not to try. d. being adventurous is more important than being knowledgeable, and a calm attitude makes you look smart.

Explanation:

1. First, analyze the two presentations: Vanessa used a dramatic, performative style (a "spectacle"), while Marin, who lacked acting skill (a limitation), focused on well-researched, clear communication of facts.
2. Then, evaluate the options against the text:

• A: The text does not frame Vanessa's performance as "showing off," so this is incorrect.
• B: Marin turned her lack of acting skill into a focused, fact-based presentation (limitation leading to effective communication), and the judges chose her substantive presentation over Vanessa's performative one, which matches this option.
• C: The text proves the opposite—content/effective reasoning was more important than style, so this is incorrect.
• D: The text shows being knowledgeable (Marin's research) was more important than adventurous performance, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. Limitations can lead to creativity, and communicating well is more important than creating a spectacle.