Question

Select the correct statement in the passage.

Which statement in the excerpt supports the idea that the author is building a slippery slope argument?
adapted from Away with Standardized Testing!
Standardized testing is a billion dollar industry. The companies that create these tests charge school districts and institutions millions of dollars to create
and administer them. Let us not even forget the millions of dollars they make selling study guide materials for college entrance exams. Some school
districts provide waivers so that students do not have to pay to take these exams. However, some students do not have that luxury and must pay for
every attempt at the test until they get a desirable score. Districts are refunded when errors on these tests are discovered or when systems crash. Each
year, school district funds are being reduced by states. Surely money poured into testing can be used to support other needs, such as higher teacher
salaries, better school lunches, more classroom libraries, and infrastructure repairs.
Sure, supporters of this dream-killing, money-sucking machine believe that standardized tests push educators to cover more content and skills and that
stricter, more-aligned standardized tests ensure that students are college ready. But do these supporters stop to think about the emotional impact of
standardized testing on student engagement and motivation? When students perform poorly test after test after test, not being able to gain acceptance
into a college of their dreams or graduate from high school or rank highly, they are more inclined to consider dropping out of school and not pursuing
college, and are more likely to tragically suffer from low self-esteem.

Answer 1

The statement in the passage that supports the idea that the author is building a slippery slope argument is that supporters believe that standardized tests ensure students are college ready, but fail to consider the negative emotional impact of testing on students.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement in the passage that supports the idea that the author is building a slippery slope argument is:

“Sure, supporters of this dream-killing, money-sucking machine believe that standardized tests push educators to cover more content and skills and that stricter, more-aligned standardized tests ensure that students are college ready.”

In this statement, the author is presenting the viewpoint of supporters of standardized testing, but then argues that these supporters fail to consider the negative emotional impact of testing on students. This implies that the use of standardized tests can lead to a downward spiral of negative consequences, which is the basis of a slippery slope argument.

Standardized testing refers to the process of assessing individuals or groups of individuals on a consistent and standardized basis. These tests are designed to measure a person's knowledge, skills, abilities, or other characteristics and provide a common metric for comparison. Standardized tests are widely used in various educational, professional, and clinical settings.

It's important to note that while standardized testing provides a standardized metric for comparison, it is not the only measure of an individual's abilities or potential. Other factors, such as grades, extracurricular activities, and personal statements, are also considered in various contexts.