Question

the poetry of physics
pre-test complete
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which statement best explains how neil degrasse tyson’s “death by black hole” and billy collins’s “man listening to disc” present differing views about the universe?
collins ponders the idea that a person can overcome all obstacles as long as there is music spilling from a headset, while tyson establishes the idea that human beings are at the mercy of a violent universe.
since tyson is a scientist, he poses the idea that the universe can be understood through science, while collins, a poet, argues that art or music holds the key to understanding the world.
collins’s poem puts forth the idea that humans can become the center of the universe, while tyson reveals that humans are insignificantly small and weak in comparison to a black hole.
tyson’s essay reveals that humanity is powerless when it comes to the larger forces of the universe, while collins’s poem argues that humanity is the center of the universe, and thus its master.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Collins' poem isn't about overcoming all obstacles with music, and Tyson's view is about human insignificance vs universe's power, not just "violent universe" framing. Eliminate.
• Option 2: Tyson's work is about scientific understanding of cosmic forces (like black holes' power over humans), but the option misrepresents Collins' focus (his poem is about personal experience with music, not "art/music as key to understand world" in a broad sense). Eliminate.
• Option 3: Collins' "Man Listening to Disc" shows the speaker's personal universe centered on his music - filled experience, making him feel at the center. Tyson's "Death by Black Hole" shows humans as tiny/weak against cosmic entities like black holes. This matches their differing views.
• Option 4: Collins' poem doesn't argue humanity is "master" of the universe, just that his personal universe centers on him. Eliminate.

Answer:

C. Collins’s poem puts forth the idea that humans can become the center of the universe, while Tyson reveals that humans are insignificantly small and weak in comparison to a black hole.