Quiz - Reading - Feb 7 and 8

1. How did Dawkins change after working with the Argus editors?

He learned to ask the right questions for a story.

He learned to meet deadlines in a timely manner.

He began to check his own work for errors in grammar.

He became familiar with the newspaper-making process.

After working with the Argus editors, Dawkins changed by learning to ask the right questions for a story. This suggests that his experience with the editors helped him develop the skill of identifying and asking relevant and insightful questions that would enhance the quality and depth of his stories. This change indicates that he became more adept at gathering information and conducting interviews, ultimately improving his ability to produce engaging and informative articles.

Explanation

After working with the Argus editors, Dawkins changed by learning to ask the right questions for a story. This suggests that his experience with the editors helped him develop the skill of identifying and asking relevant and insightful questions that would enhance the quality and depth of his stories. This change indicates that he became more adept at gathering information and conducting interviews, ultimately improving his ability to produce engaging and informative articles.

2. Why did the author write “The Police Beat”?

To present the lessons learned by a first-year reporter

To encourage the reader to take up a career in journalism

To describe the process by which a report becomes a news story

To relate the experiences of one reporter while covering crime stories

The author wrote "The Police Beat" to present the lessons learned by a first-year reporter. This suggests that the book or article provides insights and experiences from the perspective of a new journalist covering crime stories. The focus is on sharing the knowledge gained during the first year of reporting, which can be valuable for aspiring reporters or anyone interested in understanding the challenges and learning curve of the profession.

Explanation

The author wrote "The Police Beat" to present the lessons learned by a first-year reporter. This suggests that the book or article provides insights and experiences from the perspective of a new journalist covering crime stories. The focus is on sharing the knowledge gained during the first year of reporting, which can be valuable for aspiring reporters or anyone interested in understanding the challenges and learning curve of the profession.

3. “The Police Beat” was written in the same style as

A news report.

A formal speech.

A persuasive paper.

A personal narrative.

"The Police Beat" is written in the same style as a personal narrative. This can be inferred from the phrase "personal narrative" which refers to a type of writing that tells a story from the author's own perspective and experiences. In "The Police Beat," the author likely shares their own personal experiences and observations related to law enforcement, making it a personal narrative rather than a news report, formal speech, or persuasive paper.

Explanation

"The Police Beat" is written in the same style as a personal narrative. This can be inferred from the phrase "personal narrative" which refers to a type of writing that tells a story from the author's own perspective and experiences. In "The Police Beat," the author likely shares their own personal experiences and observations related to law enforcement, making it a personal narrative rather than a news report, formal speech, or persuasive paper.

4. Read these sentences from the article. . . . she left and was replaced by Steve Burgard, who also came in early and read a lot of my copy. Steve, who is now at The Los Angeles Times, always asked a lot of questions about facts in the story. What is the most likely meaning of the word copy?

A printout of a newspaper

Editorial criticisms of writing

Grammatical concerns in writing

Text that reporters write for the paper

The most likely meaning of the word "copy" in this context is "text that reporters write for the paper." This is indicated by the sentence mentioning Steve Burgard reading "a lot of my copy," suggesting that he was reading the text that the author had written. The other options, such as a printout of a newspaper or editorial criticisms of writing, do not fit the context as well.

Explanation

The most likely meaning of the word "copy" in this context is "text that reporters write for the paper." This is indicated by the sentence mentioning Steve Burgard reading "a lot of my copy," suggesting that he was reading the text that the author had written. The other options, such as a printout of a newspaper or editorial criticisms of writing, do not fit the context as well.

5. Dawkins regrets having misspelled a person’s name in a profile he wrote. Why is this error more embarrassing to him than other errors he has made?

His subject was a schoolteacher.

He had a reputation to maintain.

His editor failed to catch the error.

He had no excuse for such an error.

This error is more embarrassing to Dawkins because he had no excuse for misspelling the person's name. As a writer, he should have taken the time to double-check the spelling and ensure accuracy. The fact that his editor failed to catch the error also adds to the embarrassment, as it suggests a lack of attention to detail on both their parts. Additionally, the subject being a schoolteacher may make the error more significant, as educators are often held to higher standards of professionalism and accuracy.

Explanation

This error is more embarrassing to Dawkins because he had no excuse for misspelling the person's name. As a writer, he should have taken the time to double-check the spelling and ensure accuracy. The fact that his editor failed to catch the error also adds to the embarrassment, as it suggests a lack of attention to detail on both their parts. Additionally, the subject being a schoolteacher may make the error more significant, as educators are often held to higher standards of professionalism and accuracy.

Quiz - Reading - Feb 7 And 8