Comprehension Skills: Generating Questions to Deepen Understanding (TEKS.ELA.7.5.B) Practice Test

On Friday nights in many Texas towns, the stadium lights click on long before sunset. Businesses decorate windows in school colors, and neighbors trade predictions at the grocery store. For some, football binds generations: grandparents recall their playing days while younger siblings learn chants in the stands. The author admits loving the pageantry, yet wonders what this attention costs. Coaches celebrate discipline and teamwork, but students also feel pressure to perform under thousands of eyes. Bands, cheer squads, and volunteers give countless hours, while other programs compete quietly for the same dollars and time. A new scoreboard may inspire pride, but could the same funds repair aging lab equipment or expand the library? The author argues that Friday Night Football can unite a town and offer purpose to teenagers, but it can also narrow how a community measures success. When winning becomes the story, do we listen less to quieter victories happening in classrooms and art rooms?

In many classrooms, phones and laptops feel like both tools and traps. The author describes a lesson on note-taking where a few taps led students from a vocabulary slide to a gaming ad, then to a message thread. Some students argued their devices help them research faster and keep assignments organized. Others admitted that alerts slice their focus into short bursts. The teacher tried a simple experiment: for one week, devices were docked during direct instruction but used during group projects. Test scores changed only slightly, yet students reported feeling less rushed and more present. The author supports flexible limits, but questions how much control schools should exert over personal devices. Are distractions a matter of willpower, design, or both? If platforms profit when users stay engaged, does responsibility rest with students, schools, or the technology itself? The article asks readers to weigh convenience against concentration in a world designed to compete for attention.