Identify bias or main idea- Quiz

Below is a complex reading with multiple viewpoints. After carefully reviewing the reading, identify its main idea.

From “Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts” by Lionel Burnett in the New York Weekly Post

If you aren’t hooked up online then you might as well be nonexistent. Your online presence is basically who you are today. It’s a fundamental right to be who and what you want to be online as much as it is in “real” life.

Social media has really changed how people relate to one another. We don’t have to see people face-to face anymore. We can work long hours or live far apart and still keep up with the life events, celebrations, trials, and tribulations of friends and family. With a couple swipes of the finger on a tablet, I can find out who your friends are, where you go to school, who you work for, and what music you listen to. I can even find out what world city you should live in or what type of animal best describes your personality from the quizzes you post! Through our profiles—the photos, comments, and stories we post—we get to decide how the world sees us. It’s a lot of fun! But sadly, opening our lives to the world can also cause us big, big trouble.

My friend Aaron was a teacher at a local school. He’s also a guy who loves hunting. He stopped talking to people at work about his hobby after his boss took him aside and said that it was “inappropriate to discuss such matters in this environment, particularly given recent incidents. We don’t want to scare the children or parents.” Then last week, Aaron posted a few pictures of his latest hunting trip online, along with a video of him showing his eleven-year-old son how to properly load, fire, and unload a shotgun. All his friends thought that it was awesome that he spent time with his son teaching him gun safety. But then the video went viral, and the principal and superintendent at Aaron’s school heard about it. They called him in, and they fired him!  They said he’d been warned, and that posting the video was irresponsible. Aaron was fired even though he never signed a contract or committed to any guidelines around using social media. It isn’t right and it isn’t fair.

Not long ago I had to sign a “social responsibility” statement for my job. The contract requires employees to review the policies and standards of the organization and exercise good judgment online. Human Resources has also issued a ludicrous one-strike rule. This new policy states that if we post something that reflects poorly on the industry, the company, or any employees, we must either a) deactivate our online accounts or b) change our profile names so no one will know where we work. If we refuse, we will be fired. This is a violation of civil liberties! No piece of paper I was forced to sign is going to change what I choose to do online.

No company has the right to tell an employee how to behave in his or her personal life. I fail to see why our Internet lives should be any different than real life. My boss goes out partying every night, but he didn’t have to sign a contract saying he would watch what he says or does in a bar. If he tries to fire me for posting things online, I will see to it that he gets dismissed for being so irresponsible and partying all night. Of all of the employees, I guess I am the most upset about this. All of my coworkers signed the new contract without complaining. They aren’t all that interested in talking to Human Resources with me either. I will serve as the lone advocate for this important cause without them. I will see to it that these companies stop violating our civil liberties by limiting our vital online presence!

Now, identify the reading’s main idea, bias, and facts disguised as opinions.

What is the main idea? Choose the best answer.

Read once again the article Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts” by Lionel Burnett in the New York Weekly Post.

Can you identify any facts disguised as opinions? Choose the best answer.

When you read “ “Employers Violate Civil Liberties Over Online Videos and Posts” by Lionel Burnett in the New York Weekly Post

Can you identify any instances of bias? Choose the best answer.

What follows is a complex reading with multiple viewpoints. After carefully reviewing the reading, notice its main idea.

Every Glass Half Full: C. Allen White’s Optimism for Pessimists – What Every Student Should Know

Thousands of students head off to college each year with every intention of getting a degree, but only about sixty percent of them will end up with a diploma. What separates the graduates from the dropouts? In his new book, Optimism for Pessimists, C. Allen White argues convincingly that it’s the power of positive thinking. White weaves together common sense, student stories, and scientific evidence to prove that everyone can learn to think their way to happiness and success.

Most successful people are optimists – no surprise, since the word itself is derived from the Latin term for “best.” White interviewed numerous freshmen, and then caught up with them four years later. He found that people who went into college expecting to get good grades, make friends, and expand their horizons mostly did just that, while those who were pessimistic about the work and challenges ahead were much more likely to have dropped out. His conclusion that positive thoughts produce positive results is a sound one.

Some reviewers disagree, claiming that optimists aren’t really more successful in their college careers; they only think that they are. Pessimists have a more realistic world view, the naysayers contend, since you can’t always will yourself to be smarter, best your competition, or be liked by others. These skeptics protest that failure is inevitable, and it’s better to be prepared for it than to think it can never happen to you. But as White points out, worrying leads to depression, inaction, and poor health. Negative thinking is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Pessimists try to avoid life by overeating, over working, and spending too much time alone. Positive thinkers aren’t deluded: they’ve simply found ways to change their negative habits and thoughts. In doing so, they discover that they are better equipped to face difficult tasks. How encouraging!

The most uplifting part of White’s call for positive thinking is in his engaging discussion of the biological basis of optimism and pessimism, derived from studies published by the National Institutes of Health (150–161). The NIH reports the following:

A major difference between optimistic and pessimistic people is their coping strategies. Optimism is associated with taking an active approach for both maximizing one’s well-being and minimizing stressors. Pessimism, on the contrary, is associated with using mostly escape and avoidance strategies when dealing with distress, as well as with hesitations and a passive attitude when faced with an opportunity. Having confidence about eventual success prompts the optimist to continue trying even when the going gets tough, while doubts about the future discourage the pessimist from persisting. The optimal condition for successful living is a cautious optimism that is firmly grounded in reality.

In other words, students who approach college with a positive outlook will be able to persevere and overcome stress, while pessimists will give up too easily. But don’t despair, pessimists – White says that the same research suggests that with time and practice, you can train your brain into developing more positive tendencies, which will increase your self-esteem, confidence, body-image, and willingness to take risks.

Optimism for Pessimists – What Every Student Should Know provides a detailed and interesting look at how a simple idea that all too many dismiss as silly is actually a powerful, life-changing tool. Every college student faces setbacks, difficulties, and doubts. But we don’t have to be defeated by them. Whether it comes naturally or through a deliberate effort, we can all use the power of positive thinking to find success.

What’s the main idea? Choose the best answer.

Read once again the text from the previous question and determine facts disguised as opinion.

Choose the best answer.