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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 5: Chapter 16, "Social (Media) Disease" through "Conclusion".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Chapter 14, "The Universe of Ideas/Ideas of the Universe," what does Foster seem to admire most about Neil deGrasse Tyson's writing?
(a) That he is a witty and engaging writer.
(b) That he finds a way to communicate very abstract and unfamiliar ideas.
(c) That he confines he writing to easily understood concepts.
(d) That he is one of the few scientists who can write about many fields of science.

2. In Chapter 15, "Reading Internet Sources," what does Foster say the main role of editors is?
(a) Critical thinking.
(b) Protecting the interests of the public.
(c) Protecting the interests of media owners.
(d) Proofreading.

3. In Chapter 10, "From the Inside Out," what type of nonfiction writing does Foster refer to as "soggy" (141), and "soul-deadening" (142)?
(a) The essays of the Enlightenment.
(b) The political essay.
(c) The five-paragraph academic essay.
(d) The philosophical essay.

4. The section of this book called "What's Going on Around Here?" is what part of the book?
(a) A preface.
(b) A foreward.
(c) The introduction.
(d) An appendix.

5. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what is the implicit argument of most nonfiction writing?
(a) That the subject matter is important enough to read about.
(b) That the writer's angle on the subject is the correct one.
(c) That the reader should change their beliefs or behavior.
(d) That the writer has the authority to write about the subject.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Chapter 17, "The Criminal Element," what fraud did Stephen Glass commit?

2. Based on Chapter 14, "The Universe of Ideas/Ideas of the Universe," what would Foster call a journalist writing a general survey of the field of string theory?

3. Foster ends the "Conclusion" by making what point about nonfiction?

4. Which is the best definition of "cookie" as used in Chapter 16, "Social (Media) Disease"?

5. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," how does Foster define "specialty journalism"?

(see the answer key)

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