1 While television can be entertaining and educational, it also has a dark side, especially for children. On average, children s
pend nearly 4 hours a day watching television. The harmful effects of television viewing far outweigh any benefits. 2 Doing poorly in school is one negative effect of too much television. One study found that children who watch 10 hours or more of TV each week are less skilled at reading and less successful in school. These children watch television instead of reading, doing homework, pursuing hobbies, and getting enough sleep. In fact, watching too much television can lead to sleep disorders in children and teenagers. And this is not the only health problem TV viewing can cause. Children who are watching television are not getting any exercise. In addition, they are bombarded by commercials that unethical sponsors use to tempt them with unhealthy snack foods and drinks. No wonder children who watch more television are more likely to be overweight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that the rate of obesity was highest among children who watched 4 or more hours of TV a day, and lowest among children watching an hour or less a day.
3 Parents can make a difference. They can limit television watching to no more than 1–2 hours a day. They can watch public television, rent quality videos, or record programs and leave out the commercials. They can encourage their children to explore other options such as playing, reading, participating in sports, or learning a hobby. And, most important of all, they can set a good example.
Use the editorial to answer the questions.
The author organizes the selection using which type of structure?
A. narrative
B. comparison-and-contrast
C. cause-and-effect
D. expository
Poems are written in lines and stanzas instead of sentences and paragraphs. Prose is made up of sentences and paragraphs without any metrical (or rhyming) structure. Drama is a piece of writing that tells a story; it is performed on a stage and uses dialogue.
