Three Cheers for the Nanny State

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

According to “Three Cheers for the Nanny State,” what item did New York City attempt to ban?

• large sodas

• unsafe cars

• sugary snacks

• imported clothing

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

As explained in “Three Cheers for the Nanny State,” why were some people resistant to the ban discussed?

• They found the ban's language hard to understand.

• They feared punishment for disobeying the ban.

• They did not like being told what to do.

• They wanted a ban that was stricter.

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

What psychological concept discussed in “Three Cheers for the Nanny State” explains the reason the mind does not always make the best decisions?

• cognitive bias

• talk therapy

• deep hypnosis

• long-term memory

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

According to “Three Cheers for the Nanny State,” what do opponents of the ban discussed in the essay fear?

• increased poverty

• more regulations

• higher prices

• busier stores

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

Which of the following situations could best be used to illustrate the meaning of rational?

• wearing sunglasses at night

• laughing during a sad movie

• staying inside during a storm

• walking barefoot in the snow

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

If you think that a past action is justifiable, which of the following must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of justifiable.

• You believe that the action was unimportant.

• You believe that no one noticed the action.

• You believe that you can defend the action.

• You believe that the action was dishonest.

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

What is the most likely meaning of principle in the following sentence?

Doctors follow the principle of “do no harm” when treating their patients.

• questionable practice

• guiding belief

• medical diagnosis

• legal requirement

Close Read: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

Read the following excerpt from “Three Cheers for the Nanny State.”

Obviously, it’s not about soda. It’s because such a ban suggests that sometimes we need to be

stopped from doing foolish stuff, and this has become, in contemporary American politics,

highly controversial, no matter how trivial the particular issue. (Large cups of soda as symbols

of human dignity? Really?)

What is the impact of the parenthetical text?

• It shows that the author respects opinions about the ban that differ from her own.

• It demonstrates that the author does not understand how or why the ban was put into effect.

• It suggests that the author recognizes why there have been misunderstandings about the ban.

• It reveals that the author believes the ban has been given greater importance than it deserves.

Close Read: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

Based on “Three Cheers for the Nanny State,” choose the phrase that best describes people’s ability or inability to make good decisions.

• naturally skilled

• mentally unprepared

• biologically incapable

• psychologically predisposed

Close Read: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

Which of the following states a main purpose of “Three Cheers for the Nanny State”?

• to explain the necessity of the ban

• to describe the law-making process

• to suggest an alternative to the ban

• to persuade people to reject the ban