16Hit1600
Craft and StructureVery hardPurpose of a passage that reframes a statistic

Craft and Structure practice question

The headline number — that the average person now spends four hours a day on a phone — invites alarm. But 'average' hides the shape of the thing. A minority spend eight hours or more; a great many spend well under two. The average describes almost nobody, and policy aimed at 'the average user' will miss both groups.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

  1. A. To argue that the average conceals a spread of behaviour and is a poor guide for policy.Correct
  2. B. To warn that phone use is dangerously high.
  3. C. To recommend a daily limit on phone use.
  4. D. To explain how the four-hour figure was calculated.

Answer: A. To argue that the average conceals a spread of behaviour and is a poor guide for policy.

'Average hides the shape'; 'describes almost nobody'; policy 'will miss both groups'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. To warn that phone use is dangerously high.
The text resists the alarm rather than joining it.
C. To recommend a daily limit on phone use.
No limit is proposed.
D. To explain how the four-hour figure was calculated.
The calculation is not described.

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