Question

Plugged In, but Tuned Out: The Evil Influence of Ear Buds

Darrell Thomas

I. Invasion of the Body Snatchers:
Have you noticed a change in the world around you recently? Have you seen how more and more people are walking around with little rectangles in their hands or pockets with long wires plugged straight into their ears? At the grocery store yesterday, I counted at least twenty people completely lost in the music provided by their ever-present cell phones. It’s as if the old science-fiction movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers was coming true; we are being overtaken by pod people. So at the risk of appearing to be a crotchety old man complaining about the “good ole days,” I have to make a stance against the evil influences of the cell phone and ear-bud phenomena on our society.

Why does the author begin his article with two rhetorical questions?

A) to make the reader angry and likely to agree with him
B) to make it more likely that he will be taken seriously
C) to invite the reader to see the relevance of his subject
D) to raise legitimate questions that everyone wonders about

Answer 1

Answer: C) to invite the reader to see the relevance of his subject

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The answer is C (to invite the reader to see the relevance of his subject).

Step-by-step explanation:

The author points out, with the questions, some changes that could have been unnoticed, because it's completely normal, but that can be seen now that he states it. Therefore, the topic becomes relevant because before the questions it wasn't. This is completely necessary because technology is a matter that no longer surprise people, as he says, everyone is now using phones and headphones, but when it's highlighted by a question it becomes new or discovered.