The Plot Against People (Standard QUIZ) RI.10.3/ RI.10.4

Which of the following is the main focus of the essay?

• foolish mistakes

• petty annoyances

• major threats

• puzzling coincidences

The use of classification in the essay is humorous primarily because

• it implies an objective, scientific analysis of the subject

• the items in each category are so different from each other

• one category is so much larger than the other two

• a number of important categories have been omitted

According to Baker, which system of classification should we use to classify inanimate objects?

• the frequency with which an object breaks down

• the means by which an object moves from place to place

• the method by which an object resists and defeats humans

• the purpose for which an object was originally built

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

As classified by the author, lawn mowers, light bulbs, and slide projectors fall into the same category as which of the following?

• barometers

• flashlight

• automobiles

• keys

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

What technique do pliers and keys use to inconvenience and frustrate humans?

• They rust.

• They don't work.

• They get lost.

• They wear out.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

In the following sentence, which group of words humorously personifies an inanimate object? “It is not uncommon for a pair of pliers to climb all the way from the cellar to the attic in its single-minded determination to raise its owner’s blood pressure.”

• It is not uncommon

• single-minded determination

• from the cellar to the atic

• its owner's blood pressure

According to Baker, when does a furnace invariably break down?

• when the homeowner is far away from home on vacation

• during the depths of the first cold spell of the winter

• just when everything seems to be going well for the owner

• after a long, cold winter season when it was in constant use

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Toy-train locomotives, barometers, and car clocks belong in which of the following categories?

• things that don't work

• things that get lost

• things that break down

• things that are unnecessary

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

According to the author, a barometer gives its owner peace of mind for which of the following reasons?

• It tends to break down just when it is most needed.

• Although it can break down, it is not easily lost.

• It is so well made that it can always be counted upon.

• It is not expected to work after the first few hours.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

Which of the following best describes the writer’s overall tone in the essay?

• harsh

• anxious

• humorous

• formal

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4