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Test: SSAT Middle Level Reading
"The Modern Day vs. the 'Good 'Ol Days'" by Daniel Morrison (2014)
You may have, at one time or another, in your life, heard an elderly person bemoan the violence of our times and express a yearning for the “good ol’ days” of his or her youth. We might reasonably wonder what bygone era would be better than these days we live in. The days when children were considered lucky to make it past their fifth birthday? The days when the entire planet convulsed to the imperial and militaristic urges of the European powers? The days when the specter of nuclear war hung over every man, woman, and child?
The truth of the matter is we live in the most relatively peaceful time period in human history. Death by infectious disease is no longer the norm for everyone; the survival rate for children continues to grow around the world; and conflict, the type which involves and threatens the civilian population, is now the exception rather than the rule. Of course, none of these things have been eradicated from our society. Such a complete elimination of disease, violence, and death may never be possible. But, statistics from human history track one almost entirely uninterrupted progression—from almost everyone dying a violent or disease-ridden death to a small and unfortunate minority. Next time you hear someone claim a desire to return to the exalted days of their youth, kindly advise them to stop their misguided nostalgia and start contributing to the onward march of humanity.
| 1. | The main argument of this passage is that __________. |
Mankind is facing an eternal battle against the forces of disease and warfare.
In spite of our collective fears about society, disease and warfare have been almost completely eliminated.
Old people have consistently prevented the onward march of progress.
The youth of today are rash and reckless and risk endangering the hard-won gains of their parents' generation.
Despite common misconceptions, mankind is living in the safest and healthiest period in history.
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