What is the writer's attitude to the research on note-taking?
Few people now write by hand for more than a few minutes a day. Shopping lists, birthday cards and signatures are what remain of a skill that once occupied hours of every school week. Teachers report that pupils increasingly struggle to produce legible text at speed, and some examination boards have begun to allow candidates to type their answers. Defenders of handwriting point to research suggesting that students who take notes by hand remember more than those who type, possibly because the slower pace forces them to summarise rather than copy. Sceptics reply that the studies are small and that the benefits may vanish once typing becomes as automatic as writing once was. What seems certain is that handwriting will survive, but as a personal craft rather than a universal tool.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Neutral, presenting both the claims and the objections
- Step 1: The writer reports the defenders' view and the sceptics' reply without taking sides.
Answer
Neutral, presenting both the claims and the objections.
Why not the others: The writer shows no strong support, dismissal or alarm; both sides are reported evenly.
Practise more Reading: society and technology.
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