Reading Standards for Informational Text > Developing Ideas and Events (CCSS.RI.8.6) Practice Test

Starting school later is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Decades of sleep research show teens' body clocks shift naturally, making early bells a recipe for chronic exhaustion. Critics warn that moving the first period will scramble bus routes and squeeze after-school jobs. Those concerns are real, but they are solvable logistics, not reasons to ignore public health. Districts that shifted schedules saw attendance rise and car crashes fall. While some insist students should simply go to bed earlier, that advice ignores biology. If we care about learning and safety, we should align school with science.

Outright bans on single-use plastics make for bold headlines but clumsy policy. Advocates argue that only sweeping prohibitions can curb pollution. However, cities that rushed into blanket bans often pushed shoppers toward thicker 'reusable' bags that are used a handful of times and then tossed—hardly a win for the environment. Meanwhile, small grocers absorb higher costs. Rather than ban everything, we should expand deposit programs, require recycled content, and target the worst offenders. The goal should be smarter design and better collection, not slogans.