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

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

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

• They rust.

• They don't work.

• They get lost.

• They wear out.

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

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

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.

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

• harsh

• anxious

• humorous

• formal