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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: Chapter 1, "The Structure of Nonaction Information" through Chapter 4, "The Parts You Don't Read".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Chapter 3, "The Power of the Prologue," Foster mentions a "squib." What is a squib, in this context?
(a) A short, satirical piece of writing.
(b) The misfire of a gun due to insufficient force.
(c) A miniature explosive device.
(d) A non-magical person born to wizards.

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

3. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," Foster calls a certain kind of reader the "cognoscenti." What kind of a reader is her referring to?
(a) Young readers.
(b) Snobbish readers.
(c) Well-informed readers.
(d) Skeptical readers.

4. In Chapter 3, "The Power of the Prologue," why is "foreward" spelled with an "e" instead of as we usually see it, "forward"?
(a) This is a proofreading error in the text.
(b) Without the "e," the word means a direction; with the "e," it means a piece of writing that comes ahead of another.
(c) The spelling "foreward" is a British spelling, like "flavour," and is therefore an accepted alternate spelling.
(d) Foster is using an unconventional spelling to draw attention to the idea "fore," which means "ahead."

5. Which form discussed in Chapter 3, "The Power of the Prologue," is generally not written by the author of the main piece of writing?
(a) Prologue.
(b) Preface.
(c) Foreward.
(d) Introduction.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 3, "The Power of the Prologue," what does Foster say distinguishes the prologue from a preface?

2. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what does Foster say is the point of having a variety of media sources?

3. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what problem does Foster say can arise if readers do not understand the forms of writing?

4. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what are the "grounds" of a argument?

5. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what is the only form of nonfiction that is not argumentative?

(see the answer key)

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