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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. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what purpose do warrants serve?
(a) Warrants provide evidence.
(b) Warrants link claims and grounds.
(c) Warrants are like conclusions.
(d) Warrants explain counterclaims.

2. According to Chapter 4, "The Parts You Don't Read," what are the sidebar discussions found in the book's back matter called?
(a) Content notes.
(b) Callouts.
(c) The index.
(d) The appendix.

3. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what does Foster say is true of the sports section?
(a) Its box scores are an example of soft news.
(b) It contains every type of writing found in a newspaper.
(c) It contains primarily editorial columns.
(d) It excludes features.

4. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what implicit assertion about online writing does Foster make?
(a) It is capable of presenting hard news in a more timely fashion than print media can.
(b) It is often more accurate and more engaging than print media.
(c) It is nearly always lower quality than the writing in print sources.
(d) It is susceptible to fewer hidden biases and is therefore more objective.

5. In Chapter 1, "The Structure of Nonfiction Information," what does Foster say is the purpose of the "four Ps?"
(a) To lay out the essentials of the work to follow.
(b) To explain the structural design of the work.
(c) To establish the writer's credibility.
(d) To fill the reader in on important context.

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 1, "The Structure of Nonfiction Information," what does Foster say the first job of the writer is, on page one?

3. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what is the implicit argument of most nonfiction writing?

4. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," Foster notes that the expectation for a writer to be engaging does not apply to which types of writing?

5. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," where does Foster say editorial content can usually be found in the newspaper?

(see the answer key)

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