Directions : Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed.…
2018
Directions : Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed.
Paragraph 1- One of the easiest ways to establish a savings habit is to participate in your employer's 401(k) plan. Funds are withheld from each paycheck and deposited into your account. If your employer matches part of your contribution — and many do! — you will accumulate yet more. A second way to consistently save is with an automatic savings transfer program with your financial institution. You decide how much and when you want funds transferred from your checking account into a savings account. You can also use a payroll deduction plan from your employer and get the same results.
Paragraph 2- Along with how much and how often you save, what you earn on your funds will determine how fast your money grows. You cannot control what happens with interest rates or the stock market, but you can consider different types of savings vehicles that provide different returns. The simplest savings vehicle to consider is buying certificates of deposit (CDs) instead of leaving funds in a savings account. CDs usually offer higher interest rates, but they are time deposits and have ............... for early withdrawal. If you can accept not having immediate access to your funds, CDs can be an attractive savings vehicle.
What is the tone of writing in the passage?
- A.
Satirical
- B.
Critical
- C.
Didactic
- D.
Sarcastic
- E.
Nostalgic
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
The tone of a passage is the author's attitude toward the subject, revealed by word choice and purpose. A piece written mainly to instruct, advise, or teach the reader a practical lesson has a didactic tone — its aim is education and guidance rather than to amuse, condemn, mock, or recall the past.
Application
Identify the author's purpose from the actual content:
The passage lists concrete ways to build a savings habit: joining an employer 401(k), setting up automatic transfers, using payroll deduction.
It then explains how returns affect growth and presents certificates of deposit (CDs) as a savings vehicle, weighing their higher interest against limited early access.
Throughout, the author addresses the reader directly ('You decide how much...', 'If you can accept...') to guide a decision.
This purpose — teaching the reader how to save and advising on choices — is exactly an instructional, teaching attitude, so the tone is didactic.
Contrast
Why the other choices do not fit the passage:
Satirical: would use irony or ridicule to expose a folly; the passage instead gives straightforward, sincere advice with no mockery.
Critical: would find fault with or pass negative judgement on a subject; here the author neutrally explains options without condemning anything.
Sarcastic: would use cutting, mocking remarks meaning the opposite of what is said; the text is plain and earnest, not biting.
Nostalgic: would express longing for the past; the passage is forward-looking, focused on present and future financial action.
Hence the writing's instructional, advice-giving attitude makes its tone didactic.