Lower Voting Age

Noah Berlatsky feels that 16-year-olds should be allowed to vote. Select a sentence from the text where the author responds to a conflicting viewpoint about the voting age. (RI.2.6)

• “One objection is that young people will just vote like their parents.” (Paragraph 11)

• “But researchers have found that people are always influenced by those close to them.” (Paragraph 11)

• “They either have to cast ballots in a community with which they're unfamiliar, or pay attention to elections in a place where they no longer reside.” (Paragraph 11)

• “It would be much easier to encourage people to vote for the first time, and to establish voting patterns for a lifetime, when they're 16 and in high school.” (Paragraph 11)

Which answer choice BEST explains why David de la Fuente wrote the article's introduction [paragraphs 1-8]? (RI.2.6)

• to argue in favor of lowering the voting age to 16

• to defend the decision to keep the voting age at 18

• to explore reasons why the current voting age is 18

• to discuss the pros and cons of lowering the voting age to 16

How does de la Fuente respond to viewpoints on the various arguments for keeping the voting age 18? (RI.2.6)

• He compares the federal voting age and systems to those of specific states.

• He presents research on how responsible 16 year olds are in making decisions.

• He gives examples of real life situations where 16 year olds are treated as adults.

• He describes solutions that could be put into place to allow 16 year old voters to be successful.

Part A: Read the following sentence from the text.

Teens more often rely on the amygdala, the more emotional, primitive part of the brain. (Paragraph 9)

What is the role of the sentence in Paragraph 9? (RI.2.5)

• to provide a reason why teenagers should be trusted to engage in civic duties

• to state the argument that teenagers' brains are just as developed as adults' brains

• to provide an example of a situation in which teenagers commonly make poor decisions

• to give a reason to support why teenagers are not prepared to make reasonable choices

Part B: How does this sentence impact the paragraph as a whole? (RI.2.5)

• It introduces a scientific fact to support the author’s argument against lowering the voting age.

• It defines a term needed for readers to understand the biology of why teens are capable of voting.

• It provides a comparison between how 18 year olds and 16 years olds function and think differently.

• It is the first in a list of examples that illustrate other responsibilities that are not granted to teenagers.

Read the following sentences from the second paragraph of the article.

In these teen years, many individuals begin to work and pay taxes. This is also when we grant the right to drive a car. (Paragraph 2)

How do the sentences develop a key argument of David de la Fuente? (RI.2.5)

• by describing reasons why the voting age was lowered to the age of 18 in 1971

• by highlighting responsibilities that teenagers often have before they are even allowed to vote

• by questioning the criminal justice system policies that allow teenagers to be tried as adults

• by providing examples of rights for which lawmakers are considering changing the age requirements

Part A: Read the excerpt below: Because voter turnout is habitual, it seems like a no-brainer to let people start voting at a younger age. (Paragraph 7)

Select the meaning of the word habitual. (RI.2.4)

• exciting; exhilarating

• done constantly; regularly

• not occurring often; infrequent

• traditional; accepted responsibility

Part B: Select the phrase that best helps the reader determine the meaning of this word. (RI 1.1 and RI.2.4)

• “seems like a no-brainer”

• “can go to the polls with their parents”

• “Lowering the voting age is a worthy endeavor”

• “could begin a lifetime of such civic engagement”

Part A: Select the tone created in Paragraph 9. (RI.2.4)

• sincere

• positive

• sarcastic

• dismissive

Part B: Select two phrases that help create this tone. (RI 1.1 and RI.2.4)

• “they don't know anything”

• “often rely on the amygdala”

• “The ignorance of teens is practically a cliché.”

• “16-year-olds are subject to so many restrictions”

• “car-rental agencies make it difficult for young drivers”