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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," what does Foster cite as one of the main reasons that Americans have historically trusted the news media?
(a) The tendency of editors to insist on multiple sources.
(b) The strict editorial control of content.
(c) Journalists' willingness to admit bias.
(d) Journalists' willingness to admit mistakes.

2. 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?
(a) Informational.
(b) Technical.
(c) Academic.
(d) Political.

3. In Chapter 6, "Source Code," where does Foster suggest writers should gather information about historical figures?
(a) Primary sources.
(b) History books.
(c) Biographies.
(d) Newspaper archives.

4. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what is the only form of nonfiction that is not argumentative?
(a) Reportage.
(b) History.
(c) User manuals.
(d) Technical reports.

5. According to "The Building Blocks of Arguments," what are the "grounds" of a argument?
(a) Explanations of the relationship between facts and claims.
(b) The conclusions that an argument is based on.
(c) Factual data and evidence.
(d) The backing of a rebuttal or qualification.

6. In Chapter 6, "Source Code," what does Foster say about the proliferation of online sources?
(a) They democratize media.
(b) They offer marginalized voices a chance to be heard.
(c) They are often carefully sourced.
(d) They make everything seem like nonsense.

7. In Chapter 1, "The Structure of Nonfiction Information," what does Foster say the first job of the writer is, on page one?
(a) To be clear and concise.
(b) To get the reader to page two.
(c) To tell the truth.
(d) To create a personal bond with the reader.

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

9. In Chapter 5, "It May Just Be Me, But..." Foster says that a source's quote can be "emended" (55). What happens to an emended quote?
(a) It is withdrawn.
(b) It is verified.
(c) It is shortened.
(d) It is updated.

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

11. Based on Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," how would Foster sum up the place of newspapers in today's world?
(a) In a connected world, newspapers are simply irrelevant.
(b) Because we have invested heavily in modern newspapers, they have grown in popularity.
(c) Although they are losing popularity, they are still an essential form of news media.
(d) Print newspapers may be obsolete, but online newspapers serve the same purpose.

12. In Chapter 8, "Bringing the News," Foster makes the point that during the Nassar scandal, the Lansing State Journal did what?
(a) Initially helped Michigan State University cover up the story but later pivoted to full coverage.
(b) Devoted its resources fully to the story and stuck with it over a long period of time.
(c) Covered the scandal primarily as a sports story.
(d) Covered the breaking news and then allowed local magazines to take over coverage.

13. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," what does Foster say the term "Fake News" originally referred to?
(a) Online sources of maliciously false news.
(b) Tabloid content.
(c) News the reader dislikes.
(d) News that powerful politicians dislike.

14. In Chapter 5, "It May Just Be Me, But..." what does Foster say about offering a source the chance to correct themselves if they claim that they misspoke?
(a) This can make a story stronger.
(b) This in unethical.
(c) This is part of the fair treatment of sources.
(d) This creates inaccuracies.

15. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," what is the purpose of Foster's discussion of structure in Coming into the Country?
(a) To demonstrate that theme is dependent on detail.
(b) To show how chronological structure can be adapted to a particular message.
(c) To show that cause and effect structure can be used for narrative.
(d) To demonstrate the limits of chronological structure.

Short Answer Questions

1. 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?

2. The section of this book called "The Books in the Book" is what part of the book?

3. In Chapter 6, "Source Code," what type of writing does Foster say relies heavily on eyewitness testimony?

4. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what does Foster say is the difference between "hard news" and "soft news"?

5. In Chapter 5, "It May Just Be Me, But..." what does Foster say about offering equal space and analysis to opposing arguments?

(see the answer keys)

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