ReadthefollowingpassageandmarktheletterA,B, C,orD onyouranswersheettoindicatethecorrectanswertoeachofthe questions.

Technologyhasutterlytransformedourabilitytocommunicatewitheach other.Linking to eachotherbothliterally andfiguratively, many of us connect throughcellphones,email,instantmessaging,blogs,andnetworkingwebsites, yet we maybe less connected to each other than we think.

Accordingtoastudy,Americansarebecomingincreasinglysociallyisolated. Thestudyreveals,forexample,thatonequarterofAmericanssaythatthey havenoonetodiscussimportantpersonalissueswith,andthatthenumberof closefriendsthatAmericanhavehasdroppedfromthreetotwo.Meanwhile, theBostonGlobereportsthatthisspreadingisolationisexperiencedmore sharplyamongthosewithlesseducation,peopleofcolor,andolderAmericans. Unsurprisingly,thosewhoareyoung,white,andwelleducatedtendtohave stronger social networks.

FrommyownexperienceIhavetosaythatI’veneverfeltmoreconnected, thankstoaweboffriends,family,andcolleagues.Oneofmyclosestfriendsis someoneImetthroughanonlinediscussiongroupwholiveshundredsofmiles awayfromme.Wehavemetface-to-faceonlytwice,yetourregularelectronic correspondenceandcellphonecallssustainourclosefriendship.And,speaking ofblogging,mybloghasintroducedmetopeopleIwouldneverhavemet otherwise and has led to enduring and important friendships.

Ontheotherhand,Irecentlysawasceneunfoldthatprovedtomehowdeeply disconnectedweasAmericanshavebecome.Ihadjustwrappedupa presentationonmediationatafamilytherapycenter.AsIwasleaving,Inoticed amotherandherteenagesonwhohadjustcompletedtheirsessionwiththeir family therapist. Aftermaking theirnextappointment, they both took out their cellphones,placedcalls,andbeganloudconversationswithwhoeverwason theotherend.Iwalkedoutbehindthemtotheparkinglottomycar.Theyboth jumpedintotheirSUV,and,asIsawthemdriveoff,theywerestilltalkingon their cell phones. But, alas, not toeach other.

The word “microbes” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by which of the following?