Question

passage 1:
many educators believe that cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms.
while some argue that phones help students access information quickly, research
shows they are more often a distraction. studies reveal that students who keep their
phones away during class score higher on exams and report better focus. this
suggests that cell phones may be hindering, rather than helping, learning in school
settings.
practice questions:

1. what claim does the author make?
2. which two sentences best support this claim?
3. explain how one piece of evidence supports the author’s point.

Explanation:

Question 1

The author's claim is about cell phones in classrooms. The passage starts by stating many educators think phones shouldn't be in classrooms, then gives reasons (distraction, better scores without phones) to support that phones hinder learning. So the claim is that cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms as they hinder learning.

To find supporting sentences, we look for ones that back the claim. The second sentence ("While some argue... more often a distraction") gives a reason (distraction) and the third sentence ("Studies reveal... better focus") gives evidence (higher scores, better focus without phones). These two support the claim that phones hinder learning.

Let's take the sentence "Studies reveal that students who keep their phones away during class score higher on exams and report better focus." The author's point is that phones hinder learning. This evidence shows that when students don't have phones, they perform better academically (higher scores) and can focus better. So it supports the claim by showing a positive outcome (better learning) when phones are absent, implying phones were a hindrance.

Answer:

The author claims that cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms because they are more often a distraction and may be hindering learning (as shown by students scoring higher and focusing better when phones are away).

Question 2