Question

teenage inventor alexis lewis thinks that kids have the solutions to the worlds problems
megan gambino • 2015
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assessment questions
alexis lewis is an inventor of several life-changing devices, and at the time of this article, she was only 15 years old. in this 2015 interview from smithsonian magazine, lewis discusses her inventions and why she thinks more kids could help solve the world’s problems through their own inventions.
as you read, take notes on why lewis thinks kids make good inventors.
1 benjamin franklin invented swim flippers when he was 12 years old. frank epperson, age 11, conceived of the popsicle, and 16-year-old george nissen thought up a trampoline.
just last year, kiowa kavovit, then 6, became the youngest to pitch her invention – a liquid bandage called boo boo goo – on abc’s “shark tank.”
in the united states, there is no age requirement for filing a patent.
alexis lewis, a 15-year-old inventor in chapel hill, north carolina, wants children across the country to know that an inventor isn’t something you have to be when you grow up;
phes invention convention by herald post is licensed under cc by-nc 2.0.

1. part b: which detail from the text best supports the answer to part a?

○ a. “my mom would always read to the family about various world issues. when hurricane katrina hit alexis was 5 years old, we learned all about that – what a hurricane was” (paragraph 8)
○ b. “being homeschooled, i had a lot of free time in which i was encouraged to basically go and do and build almost anything i wanted.” (paragraph 8)
○ c. “i don’t mean to put adults down, but when you’ve grown up and you’ve seen the world for a long time, you think it’s one way.” (paragraph 9)
○ d. “if people aren’t told when they’re young that they can invent, it’s going to be much harder to convince them that they can.” (paragraph 10)
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Explanation:

To solve this, we first need to know the answer to Part A (which is likely about why kids make good inventors). Assuming Part A's answer relates to kids having opportunities/freedom to create, let's analyze each option:

• Option A: Talks about learning about world issues, not about being a good inventor. Eliminate.
• Option B: Mentions being homeschooled with free time and encouragement to build anything. This supports kids having the chance to invent (good for being inventors).
• Option C: Compares adults' and kids' thinking, not about why kids are good inventors. Eliminate.
• Option D: Talks about convincing kids they can invent, not why they are good at it. Eliminate.

To determine the correct option, we analyze each choice. Option A focuses on learning about issues, not inventing. Option C compares adult and kid thinking. Option D is about convincing kids. Option B explains Lewis had free time and encouragement to build, supporting why kids (like her) make good inventors (aligning with Part A's likely focus on kids' opportunities to create).

Answer:

B. "Being homeschooled, I had a lot of free time in which I was encouraged to basically go and do and build almost anything I wanted." (Paragraph 8)