NBT NBT Academic Literacy: Tone, Register and Author's Attitude 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the extract: 'Biodiversity loss, once a distant academic concern, has become an urgent crisis demanding immediate governmental action.' The author's attitude is best described as:
- Alarmed and urgent (Correct answer)
- Dismissive
- Nostalgic
- Detached
Correct answer: Alarmed and urgent
'Urgent crisis' and 'immediate' convey a strong sense of alarm and the pressing need for action.
Question 2: A restaurant menu reads: 'Our house-smoked salmon rillettes are delicately balanced with crème fraîche and micro herbs.' What register is this written in?
- Elevated/aspirational formal (Correct answer)
- Casual conversational
- Technical scientific
- Academic analytical
Correct answer: Elevated/aspirational formal
Sophisticated culinary vocabulary and a refined descriptive style characterise an elevated, aspirational formal register.
Question 3: A student's text message reads: 'omg the exam was so hard lol cant believe I wrote that 😭'. What register does this represent?
- Informal digital (Correct answer)
- Formal academic
- Professional business
- Literary
Correct answer: Informal digital
Abbreviations, lowercase, emojis, and fragmented syntax are all hallmarks of informal digital register.
Question 4: Consider: 'While the proposed policy has some merit, its long-term economic implications remain unclear and warrant further investigation.' The author's attitude toward the policy is:
- Cautiously neutral — acknowledging strengths while flagging uncertainties (Correct answer)
- Strongly supportive
- Dismissive
- Sarcastically critical
Correct answer: Cautiously neutral — acknowledging strengths while flagging uncertainties
'Some merit' concedes value, but 'remain unclear' and 'warrant further investigation' show hedged, cautious neutrality.
Question 5: An environmental activist's article states: 'Corporations that continue to pollute our rivers are nothing less than criminals dressed in suits.' The tone is best described as:
- Accusatory and impassioned (Correct answer)
- Academic and objective
- Humorous and light-hearted
- Sympathetic
Correct answer: Accusatory and impassioned
'Nothing less than criminals' is an emotive accusation; the passionate language signals an accusatory and impassioned tone.
Question 6: Which of the following would most likely appear in a formal business report?
- It is recommended that the board review its risk management procedures in the second quarter. (Correct answer)
- Guys, we really need to sort out our risk stuff before Q2.
- Honestly, the risk thing is a total mess — someone needs to fix it.
- So I was thinking maybe we should look at risks again soon?
Correct answer: It is recommended that the board review its risk management procedures in the second quarter.
Passive voice, third person, and professional vocabulary are features of formal business register.
Question 7: An author writes: 'History has shown, with monotonous regularity, that those who ignore the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat them.' The phrase 'monotonous regularity' suggests the author is:
- Wearily resigned to repeated human failure (Correct answer)
- Cheerfully optimistic about historical progress
- Indifferent to historical patterns
- Genuinely surprised by historical repetition
Correct answer: Wearily resigned to repeated human failure
'Monotonous' implies tedious, dreary repetition — the tone is one of resigned weariness at consistent human folly.
NBT NBT Academic Literacy: Tone, Register and Author's Attitude 2
Read the extract: 'Biodiversity loss, once a distant academic concern, has become an urgent crisis demanding immediate governmental action.' The author's attitude is best described as: