English Debate

Summarize the 1st three paragraphs

THEN
 
Write a two-paragraph summary-response in the space below. Remember to follow the four-step process:

Identify the main idea of the reading.
Identify the supporting details for the summary and for the response.
Identify the author’s purpose for writing.
Write a summary-response of the reading.

Remember that the first paragraph is a summary of the reading, and the second paragraph is your response to, or personal opinion about, the reading.

“”1.  What is the appropriate age for a new driver to earn a license? Is age 16, the age used by many states, the way to go? Or should the minimum age requirement be 18 years old? Recently, there has been much debate about what the driving age should be.
2 When the first automobile was invented in 1886, there was excitement about what this new machine meant for the future of travel, both near and far. In 1900, cars were considered luxury items, and only 8,000 were owned in the United States. Currently, over 253 million cars are driven on American roads. As the automobile became the main form of transportation in the United States, regulations about who could operate the cars soon followed.

3 The responsibility to issue drivers’ licenses and establish driving laws has always been given to individual states, and requirements vary among states. In 1903, Massachusetts and Missouri became the first states to have laws about licensing, and in 1908, Rhode Island became the first state to require a driving test. By the 1930s, many high schools began to offer formal driver education classes. In years prior, the responsibility for teaching new drivers had fallen on car salesmen, family, friends, or organizations such as the YMCA. Despite concern about the safety of drivers on the road, in 1935, just 37 states required drivers’ licenses and few required a test to earn such a license. Today, all 50 states have laws requiring drivers to pass a driving test in order to gain a license. However, there is still disagreement about whether 16-year-olds are too young to drive.
4 There are several arguments that support the idea that 16 years old is the right age to earn a driver’s license. First, when high school students get their licenses at 16, they can be more independent and no longer have to rely on their parents to pick them up from school and activities. In addition, their parents no longer have to take time out of their schedules to drive their children from place to place. Finally, high school students who want to work often need to drive themselves. Students may not be able to work at all if they cannot get to their jobs. This places a greater financial burden on parents.
5 On the other hand, the biggest argument in favor of raising the driving age has to do with safety. Young drivers get into more accidents than older drivers do. In fact, the risk for car accidents is highest for 16- to 19-year-old drivers; teen drivers crash three times more often than drivers who are over 20 years old. This data suggests that young teens are too inexperienced to drive and would be much safer drivers if they waited until they were 18 to take the driving test. Those in favor of raising the driving age hope that many teen injuries can be avoided.
6 The future may bring about a compromise between the two sides. During the 1990s, Graduated Driver Licensing programs were introduced to help teenagers acquire more driving experience. Graduated Driver Licensing programs have three stages: the learner, the intermediate, and the full-privilege stage. The age restrictions for each stage vary from state to state. In the learner stage, teens have to drive with supervision, usually a parent. This stage lasts from six to twelve months. After a minimum time period and 30-70 hours of supervised driving practice, teens can take their driving test. They then enter the intermediate stage. During this stage, teens must have supervision if they drive at night and can have only one other teen passenger in the vehicle. Finally, at age 16, 17, or 18, depending on the state, teens enter the full-privilege stage, when they earn a standard driver’s license.
7 Even with Graduated Driver Licensing programs, the debate about the minimum driving age is still complex and heated. Both sides hope for fewer accidents involving teen drivers. Time will tell whether this new form of licensing is effective in reducing accidents—and in satisfying proponents of both older and younger driving age requirements.””