"The Order of Things" Reading Quiz

In the second paragraph, the author includes a quote from Robert Morse in order to

In the second paragraph, the author includes a quote from Robert Morse in order to

• compare the history of the US News rankings with those of Car and Driver

• concede the popularity of the US News rankings

• provide an example of his claim about the evidence-based nature of the US News rankings

• cite the opinion of an expert in order to support his line of reasoning

• illustrate how the purpose and perception of the US News rankings have changed over time

The list given in the third paragraph serves the purpose of

The list given in the third paragraph serves the purpose of

• providing details to help the reader understand the rankings given in the next paragraph

• illustrating how biased Morse's variables are in terms of their weighting

• giving an example of how these factors can impact a school's ranking

• supporting Gladwell's claim about the importance of a comprehensive ranking system

• countering Morse's view that the rankings system is not heterogenous

Gladwell begins paragraph 5 by noting, "This ranking system looks a great deal like the Car and Driver methodology" in order to

 

Gladwell begins paragraph 5 by noting, "This ranking system looks a great deal like the Car and Driver methodology" in order to

• preface his discussion of the system's weaknesses with a comparison to a like system

• clarify the positive aspects of both systems from US News and Car and Driver

• contrast the merits of Car and Driver's rankings to the weaknesses of US News' system

• refer to the Car and Driver ranking methodology as a standard that should be upheld

• explain how the two ranking methodologies have led to controversy in American society

Gladwell notes in paragraph 6, "It is easy to see why the U.S. News rankings are so popular" in order to

 

Gladwell notes in paragraph 6, "It is easy to see why the U.S. News rankings are so popular" in order to

• support his argument about the validity of the US News college rankings

• concede the appeal and relative ease of referencing the US News rankings

• conclude that Penn State is a superior school to Yeshiva because of their relative rankings

• contrast rankings that are heterogenous with those that are comprehensive

• appeal to an audience who will continue to use US News rankings in the future

The rhetorical question at the end of the excerpt serves to

 

The rhetorical question at the end of the excerpt serves to

• speculate about the cause of the US News rankings' lack of reliability

• evoke sympathy in the reader for the difficult task of Morse and his US News team

• provoke reflection in the reader about how often they have relied on rankings in the past

• call into question the validity of the US News rankings

• raise the possibility for improvement of the US News ranking system