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Rob Walker, Replacement Therapy: Why Our Gadgets Can’t Wear Out Fast Enough

Replacement Therapy: Why Our Gadgets Can’t Wear Out Fast Enough

Rob Walker

READING COMPREHENSION QUIZ

Take the quiz below to check your comprehension of the reading selection:

Question 4.30

Why does Walker hope his iPod will break?

So that he can replace it with a newer, better model

Because he fears he relies on it too much

Because he has never liked it

None of these

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is A.

Question 4.31

What is planned obsolescence?

A natural part of the aging process in human beings

A corporate strategy of supplying the market with products specifically built not to last

Purposely deciding not to perform well at one’s workplace

All of these

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 4.32

How often does the average American get a new phone?

Every eighteen months

Every year

Every two years

Every six months

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is A.

Question 4.33

Which of these problems gives Walker pause about replacing good, working-order electronics?

The number of electronics in his junk drawer

The potential impact on his budget

Poorer consumers in less developed countries

Electronic waste

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.

Question 4.34

What does Walker argue at the end of the reading about obsolescence?

It’s progress.

It’s companies giving consumers what they want.

It’s the market responding to demand.

All of these

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.

READING SUMMARY

Question 4.35

In a sentence or two, summarize the main idea of Walker’s “Replacement Therapy: Why Our Gadgets Can’t Wear Out Fast Enough.” Be sure to put the summary in your own words and to avoid using the sentence structure of the reading selection. Consider multimodal elements (if any) as well as text. Remember that your summary should restate the selection’s main idea and include only the most important supporting ideas.

Below is an example summary of this reading selection: Rob Walker explains that consumers’ desire to replace their older gadgets with newer, faster models is not driven by companies seeking to make a profit. Instead, people’s innate desire for novelty is what is fueling companies to produce more advanced products to meet consumer demand. Your summary will differ from this one in the way it is written, but it should include roughly the same information.

VOCABULARY QUIZ

Explain the meaning of each of the following words as it is used in the reading:

Question 4.36

Flagging (par. 1)

Flagging means waning or failing.

Question 4.37

Ubiquitous (par. 5)

Ubiquitous means ever-present or omnipresent.

Question 4.38

Cynical (par. 7)

Cynical means pessimistic or suspicious.