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Question ID: $166064$

What is the topic sentence of paragraph $1$ of the passage?

"Fewer American school systems are requiring it to be taught in second and third grades, which is traditionally when students learn cursive."

$"$In fact, during the seventeen hundreds, penmanship schools were established to educate master scribes."

"However, the popularity of formal handwriting is in decline."

"Cursive is an art that is centuries old, but might the book of its history soon be closed?"

Reading Passage

The Clash over Cursive

by Rebecca Lebowitz

$1$ Cursive is an art that is centuries old, but might the book of its history soon be closed? Cursive handwriting is beautiful. The graceful curves and elegant loops of cursive script have long been taught in school. In fact, during the seventeen hundreds, penmanship schools were established to educate master scribes.

However, the popularity of formal handwriting is in decline. Fewer American school systems are requiring it to be taught in second and third grades, which is traditionally when students learn cursive. Some people support this trend, encouraging educators to teach more relevant skills, while others believe that the disappearance of cursive would be a devastating loss. So$,$ should cursive writing continue to be taught in American schools?

$2$ Those in favor of teaching cursive see it as a link to the past. When students learn how to read and write cursive, they are able to read letters and important historical documents written in script. Older generations were taught to write using cursive almost exclusively. Without cursive lessons, young people might lose a link to the past, for example, the ability to read the Declaration of Independence and John Hancock's iconic signature at its end. Some even say that certain details in cursive