Question

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit. Sentence: Having made citizens more and less knowledgeable than their predecessors, the Internet has proved to be both a blessing and a curse. Paragraph: Never before has a population, nearly all of whom has enjoyed at a least a secondary school education, been exposed to so much information, whether in newspapers and magazines or through YouTube, Google, and Facebook. ____(1) ____. Yet it is not clear that people today are more knowledgeable than their barely literate predecessors. Contemporary advances in technology offered more serious and inquisitive students access to realms of knowledge previously unimaginable and unavailable. ____ (2) ____. But such readily available knowledge leads many more students away from serious study, the reading of actual texts, and toward an inability to write effectively and grammatically. ____ (3) ____. It has let people choose sources that reinforce their opinions rather than encouraging them to question inherited beliefs. ____ (4) ____.

• A. Option 1
• B. Option 2
• C. Option 3
• D. Option 4

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The given sentence to fit into the paragraph is: "Having made citizens more and less knowledgeable than their predecessors, the Internet has proved to be both a blessing and a curse."

We need to determine the best place for this sentence within the provided paragraph. Let's analyze each blank:

Analysis:

• The first sentence of the paragraph talks about the abundance of information available through various digital platforms.
• The subsequent statement, after Blank 1, highlights that it is unclear if this accessibility translates to greater knowledge compared to the past.
• After Blank 2, the paragraph mentions that new technology gives serious students access to vast knowledge.
• The sentence that follows Blank 3 notes the negative impact on serious study and writing skills due to easy access to information.
• The sentence just before Blank 4 emphasizes selecting information that reinforces people's opinions rather than challenging them.

Decision:

The provided sentence reflects on the dual nature of the Internet as both beneficial and detrimental. Placing this sentence at Blank 4 is most suitable because it aligns with the idea of choosing information sources that merely confirm existing views, underscoring the Internet's paradoxical role in both informing and misinforming users.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the correct position for the sentence is Blank 4.