Question

Based on information in the article, which of the following best describes one similarity between the development of the car and compulsory education?

A.They are both examples of the purchasing power of teenagers.
B.They are both examples of the restrictions placed on early teenagers.
C.They both inspired teenagers to speak out on the social issues of the time.
D.They both enabled teenagers to develop social connections outside the home.






A Century of Teens

For most of human history, adolescents were considered more or less unfinished adults, lacking any exceptional characteristics or privileges. In general, once children could contribute to the family farm or hold a job, they were put to work. At the start of the 1900s, less than 10 percent of American kids graduated high school. At the same time, almost all social life revolved around the extended family. Historians point to three main factors that fueled the rise of the American teen in the first half of the 20th century: cars, compulsory education, and cash.

Automobiles were the technological development that gave older adolescents more personal freedom. Cars had become common by the 1920s, and those four wheels let teens evade their parents for a little while and get together with friends. As a result, learning to drive became a rite of passage to greater independence.

Another key element in the invention of teenagers was compulsory education. Two causes led to this social shift. In the early 1900s, there were campaigns against child labor. Then in the 1930s, laws were passed to keep kids from competing for jobs with unemployed adults during the Great Depression. The result was more high schools, where teens could hang out in large numbers as well as learn. Schools became laboratories for teen sensibilities regarding fashion, music, movies, and so on.

Answer 1

D. They both enabled teenagers to develop social connections outside the home.

Answer 2

Based on the information provided in the article, the best answer is:

D. They both enabled teenagers to develop social connections outside the home.

The development of the car and compulsory education both contributed to teenagers' ability to interact and socialize outside of their immediate family and home environment. The car provided mobility and independence, allowing teenagers to gather with friends and engage in social activities outside of the home. Similarly, compulsory education increased the number of teenagers in high schools, providing them with opportunities to interact with their peers, form social connections, and participate in shared experiences within an educational setting.