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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

3. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," Whome does Foster say is "our greatest living thinker about writing nonfiction" (81)?
(a) Malcolm Gladwell.
(b) John McPhee.
(c) Michael Pollan.
(d) Bob Woodward.

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

5. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," Foster tells us that changing the structure of a story changes its what?
(a) Meaning.
(b) Genre.
(c) Topic.
(d) Length.

6. 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?
(a) Readers may be disappointed by the content of their reading.
(b) Readers may have unreasonably high standards.
(c) Readers may misunderstand the purpose of the form they are reading.
(d) Readers may expect the wrong things from the form they are reading.

7. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," what does Foster say beginning writers often get too caught up in?
(a) Description.
(b) Dialogue.
(c) Narrative.
(d) Exposition.

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

9. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what does Foster say is the point of having a variety of media sources?
(a) Accuracy.
(b) Time.
(c) Appealing to different readers.
(d) Depth of coverage.

10. In Chapter 7, "All in How You Look at Things," Foster uses the Latin expression in media res. What does this expression mean?
(a) In strict chronological order.
(b) In the middle of things.
(c) In the form of a circle.
(d) In narrative form.

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

12. In Chapter 6, "Source Code," what does Foster say is an advantage of using data as evidence?
(a) It exists independent of our will and beliefs.
(b) It can be manipulated to make it say what the author wants it to say.
(c) It is one of the only sources that people still believe in.
(d) The reader often isn't aware of whether the data is real or not.

13. In Chapter 1, "The Structure of Nonfiction Information," what are the "four Ps" that Foster discusses?
(a) Purpose, paraphrase, platform, and paragraph.
(b) Problem, proposal, program, and plan.
(c) Problem, promise, program, and platform.
(d) Purpose, proposal, program, and plan.

14. In Chapter 6, "Source Code," which is the only type of nonfiction that Foster says doesn't need "rock-solid" sources (69)?
(a) Reportage.
(b) Memoir.
(c) Philosophy.
(d) Biography.

15. In Chapter 2, "The Ecology of the Nonfiction Biosphere," what does Foster call the "second draft of history"?
(a) Textbooks.
(b) Newspaper articles.
(c) Editorial columns.
(d) Magazine stories.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 8, "Bringing the News," one of the main points that Foster wants to make about All the President's Men is that it is a kind of writing he calls what?

2. In Chapter 8, "Bringing the News," Foster says that All the President's Men is sui generis. He is saying that this book is what?

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

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

5. 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?

(see the answer keys)

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