Chapter 08 Multiple Choice Self-Quiz

. Which of the following statements is most accurate in regard to summary and alternative leads?

Summary leads are more difficult to write than alternative leads.

Alternative leads require the ability to convey an interesting idea uniquely.

For any story there is only one type of lead that is appropriate.

A rigid formula dictates which kind of lead is right for any given story.

. Although alternative leads might run four or five paragraphs, they are always followed by a nut graph, which

contains an interesting quotation from a key source.

states the central point of the story.

offers an amusing bit of wisdom.

introduces the concluding paragraphs of the story.

. One of the first newspapers in the country to make extensive use of soft leads was

The Wall Street Journal.

The New York Times.

The Chicago Tribune.

The Emporia (Kan.) Gazette.

. One of the criticisms of alternative leads is that they

tend to lure readers into stories that are not inherently interesting.

are too difficult for news reporters to write.

make every stories all sound the same.

are too long and fail to emphasize the news.

. Some critics of the use of alternatives leads have derided them as

highbrow journalism.

lowbrow journalism.

Jell-o journalism.

literary journalism.

. The buried or delayed lead is one that

holds the most newsworthy facts until the very end of the story.

begins with an example or anecdote followed by a nut graph that states the central point of the story.

fails to give the reader any idea what the story is about.

withholds minor details until the second or third paragraph.

. Which of the following statements is the reason most reporters avoid using quotations as leads?

Quotations rarely tell the central point.

Quotations rarely summarize an entire story.

Quotations are rarely self-explanatory.

All of the other options.

. If a writer uses a question as a lead, the question should

always be one that can be answered yes or no.

not be one that can be answered yes or no.

not be about a controversial issue the reader is likely to be familiar with.

always be about an issue the reader is unlikely to have any strong feelings about.

. To be effective, a question lead should be

brief, simple, specific and provocative.

long, complicated, vague and anodyne.

brief, simple, general and abstract.

long, complicated, specific and provocative.

. A direct-address lead is one that

uses the pronoun "you" and speaks directly to the reader.

has a shocking twist to it.

presents some kind of startling or ironic contrast.

uses words in an unusual way.

. A descriptive lead is one that

uses the pronoun "you" and speaks directly to the reader.

has a shocking twist to it.

uses details to paint a picture for the reader before moving on to the action.

presents some kind of startling or ironic contrast.

. A shocker is a lead that

presents extremely gory details.

portrays a famous person in a bad light.

reports on some frightening events or trends.

has a startling twist.

. A quotation that begins with words such as "he," "she," "they" or "we" is particularly unsuitable as a lead because

it encourages the reader to identify with the person or persons identified by the pronouns.

one should never begin a sentence with a pronoun.

readers have no way of knowing to whom the pronouns refer.

it is too informal for use in a daily newspaper or news broadcast.

. Reporters like to write stories with alternative leads because

such leads are likely to annoy the readers who like to call in and complain.

they can break out of the stylistic restraints imposed by summary leads.

such leads are likely to annoy the editors who read their copy.

they can make reading the news more of an intellectual challenge than it usually is.

. The following lead is an example of which type of alternative lead? "Income-tax day is weeks away, but you may need that time to figure out how the changes in the tax law affect you."

Direct address.

Suspenseful.

Ironic.

Descriptive.

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