Celebrity photographers, also known as paparazzi, have gone too far in their quest to snap pictures of the stars. Everyone—even celebrities—should have the right to privacy, yet photographers routinely hound famous people everywhere they go. The creepiest of these photographers are not above following their prey into bathrooms or climbing trees to get shots of celebrities in their own homes. This constant invasion forces the rich and famous to become rude and mean, setting a bad example for their often youthful fans. Even worse, though, the paparazzi's behavior is frequently downright dangerous and irresponsible. One newspaper recently reported that pop singer Britney Spears was forced to drive 90 miles an hour in an attempt to outrun relentless photographers. And who can forget that in 1997, England's Princess Diana was killed in a car accident while her driver tried to evade the paparazzi in a high-speed chase. People may crave pictures of the stars, but most readers certainly would not want them at the expense of a celebrity's safety. Newspapers and magazines should cease paying for these kinds of photos while photographers who put celebrities in harm's way should be arrested for stalking.(Source of information: Michael Paul, Lenoir, NC, "Paparazzi Go Much Too Far," USA Today, September 9, 2004, p. 12A)

The author's purpose is:

a. to inform

b. to persuade

The author's tone is:

a. emotionally neutral

b. admiring

c. indignant

d. amused

In the cruel aftermath of World War II, the Marshall Plan saved Europe from economic and political disaster. In June 1947, then Secretary of State George Marshall announced that the United States would give aid to war-torn Europe by funding a massive aid program designed to restore European prosperity and security. This aid, which totaled $12.4 billion by the time the plan ended in 1951, required that the foreign aid be spent in the United States on American-made goods. Thus, it not only stimulated impressive European industrial production and investment, it also boosted the American economy. In helping Europe get back on its feet and grow again economically, the Marshall Plan was more than a humanitarian effort. It also kept economically depressed European nations from turning to communism for a solution to their problems. Thus, Marshall's plan helped contain the spread of communism, the central goal of the Cold War, and at the same time won the U.S. countless friends and fans abroad. (Sources of information: Mary Beth Norton et al., A People and a Nation, 6th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001, p. 828; Carol Berkin et al., Making America, 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003, p. 829)

The author's purpose is:

a. to inform

b. to persuade

The author's tone is:

a. emotionally neutral

b. admiring

c. surprised

d. skeptical

When they thought national security was at stake, several American presidents intentionally curtailed the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens. Second president John Adams, for instance, signed the Alien and Sedition Acts. These four laws, passed by Congress in 1798, authorized the expulsion from the country of any alien who was considered dangerous. The laws also restricted the press's right to criticize the government. During the Civil War (1860-1865), President Abraham Lincoln also limited Americans' personal liberty when he suspended the writ of habeas corpus, the law that protects citizens from being wrongly imprisoned. President Woodrow Wilson, much praised for his leadership during World War I, allowed his attorney general to conduct the Palmer raids of 1918, a government roundup of those who were foreign born or involved in political activism. During World War II Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed to the forced relocation of thousands of Japanese-Americans despite there being no evidence that they were spies. Like his predecessors, Roosevelt believed that special measures were necessary during wartime. (Source of information: Ross K. Baker, "Do the Greatest Presidents Pose the Greatest Danger to Liberty?" USA Today, September 13, 2004, p. 15A)

The author's purpose is:

a. to inform

b. to persuade

The author's tone is:

a. fearful

b. angry

c. admiring

d. emotionally neutral

According to a 1999 study conducted by a University of Florida professor, every year, more than 200 international matchmaking services operating in the United States arrange about 6,000 marriages between American men and foreign women. Most of these women, commonly referred to as "mail-order brides," come from the former Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. The matchmaking industry persuades the women that wealthy American husbands will provide them a better life. To its male customers, the industry markets an image of an "exotic" but submissive wife who will be easy to control. Despite criticism that mail-order marriages encourage the stereotype of dominant men and submissive women, many of these matches do seem to be successful. However, a few recent cases of domestic violence and even murder have given the mail-order bride industry a bad name and prompted women's and immigrants' rights groups to complain that the industry lacks adequate regulation. Yet there are no statistics on the extent of the abuse suffered by mail-order brides, and some people claim that the men are actually the ones who are most often victimized by mail-order marriages. The claim is that foreign women agree to marry American men only to gain U.S. citizenship. Then they falsely report physical abuse so that they can divorce but remain in the country. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced legislation that would require American men seeking mail-order brides to submit to criminal background checks and disclose any prior history of domestic violence incidents. (Source of information: David Crary, "Abuse of Mail-order Foreign Brides Prompts Effort to Oversee Fast-growing Industry," AP Worldstream, July 5, 2003; Leela Jacinto, "Importing Brides," ABC News, July 10, 2003, http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/US/mailorder030710_bill.html)

The author's purpose is:

a. to inform

b. to persuade

The author's tone is:

a. emotionally neutral

b. disgusted

c. sad

d. suspicious

Car alarms are a public nuisance. Their persistent and disruptive noise has been shown to boost stress hormones that are linked to physiological illness and psychological distress. Studies also show that children regularly exposed to car alarm noise have difficulty concentrating on quiet tasks like reading. Because car alarm noise makes people irritable, it also increases the tendency to be impatient and rude. In short, noisy car alarms are helping erode public civility. And for what? For nothing. According to police, criminologists, insurance companies, auto manufacturers, and even car thieves themselves, car alarms are next to useless. A 1997 analysis of insurance claims from 73 million vehicles concluded that alarms did not deter car theft. No one pays any attention to car alarms any more because 95 to 99 percent of the alarms are false. According to the Progressive Insurance Company, fewer than 1 percent of people surveyed say that they would call the police if they heard a car alarm. Plus, today's car thieves are professionals undeterred by the presence of alarms, which they can readily disable when necessary. Consequently, GM, Ford, and other manufacturers have begun to stop putting alarms in their cars. This is their way of acknowledging that the alarms are nothing but "noisemakers." It's outrageous that audible car alarms continue to needlessly reduce our quality of life. They should be made illegal immediately. (Source of information: Aaron Friedman et al., "Alarmingly Useless: The Case for Banning Car Alarms in New York City," Transportation Alternatives, March 21, 2003, http://www.transalt.org/info/caralarms/report.pdf)

The author's purpose is:

a. to inform

b. to persuade

The author's tone is:

a. emotionally neutral

b. irritated

c. amused

d. puzzled