Question

1.1.8 quiz: analyze expository writing

pressure from the professional community of planetary scientists as well as from the general public, brought pluto’s planethood to a vote at a triennial general assembly in prague, czech republic. the result? pluto was formally downgraded from \planet\ to \dwarf planet,\ thereby helping to diffuse the negative attention that we had been receiving for six years running.

— neil degrasse tyson, the pluto files

interview:

and so she goes over to look, can’t find pluto, and this reporter says i think i’ve got a story here, telephones back to get the science reporter, and the science reporter files a story that makes page one of the new york times on january 22, 2001, by the way, and what else is going on in the world that day? bush had just been inaugurated in washington. they’re still counting chads in florida. you’d think other news would be filling page one, but no. there it was: \pluto not a planet? only in new york.\ and that’s when the real wave of hate mail started coming in.

— neil degrasse tyson, interview by melissa block, \astrophysicist chronicles battle over pluto\

which excerpt from tyson’s preface or interview conveys the most emotion?

○ a. and that’s when the real wave of hate mail started coming in.

Explanation:

To determine which excerpt conveys the most emotion, we analyze the options. Option A ("And that's when the real wave of hate mail started coming in.") uses the phrase "real wave of hate mail," which implies a strong emotional reaction from the public (anger/frustration) and also reflects Tyson's experience of dealing with intense, negative feedback. The other excerpt (from the preface) is more factual about the vote and reclassification. The mention of "hate mail" carries emotional weight as it involves personal, negative communications, showing the passion and emotion surrounding the Pluto debate.

Answer:

A. And that's when the real wave of hate mail started coming in.