Before MP3s, CDs, and even cassettes, people listened to music on vinyl records. That is to say, people listened to vinyl record
s until they disappeared from most stores in the 1980s. Records didn't disappear because people didn't like them, or because they weren't as good as the newer formats. They disappeared because most music companies stopped making them. Music companies stopped making records because they knew they could make more money off of the newer formats. As a result, the consumer is left with CD covers that are so small that he or she can barely see the artwork. The CDs he or she finds in these covers are longer than records, and as such, contain bloated albums that have on them five good songs and fifty minutes of filler. This didn't happen with records, which usually held around forty minutes of music. If the consumer doesn't like CDs, he or she can use MP3s. MP3s come with even smaller artwork, if there's any artwork at all. Also, since MP3s are just strings of computer code, the consumer risks losing his or her entire music collection if his or her computer crashes. Meanwhile, records, which have less room for filler and can't be lost in a computer crash, are collecting dust in homes across the United States. 7 Which of the following can you infer from the passage above? A. The author of this passage dislikes music companies. B. The author of this passage is old. C. The author of this passage does not like new music. D. The author of this passage prefers records over CDs and MP3s.
The moral of Beauty and the Beast is that we should value inward characteristics such as kindness over other superficial qualities, such as wit and appearance. This moral is presented by showing that Beauty valued the inward characteristics of Beast, and fell in love with him despite his outward appearances.
