A hard news story (inverted pyramid) is composed of the lede, the body and the conclusion.

Of the topics we have covered in this course, which topic is most directly applicable to you, your career, or your interests?  Why?  (Note: There is no right or wrong answer here – if you answer completely you’ll get the full points for this question).  

EXTRA CREDIT: Who is quoted in the textbook as saying this about ledes: “The best day is one when I can write a lede that will cause a reader at his breakfast table next morning to spit up his coffee, clutch at his heart and shout, ‘My God, Martha, did you read this?’”

Dominique, a meteorologist, predicted precipitation for her hometown over the past year (365 days). Over the year, there was precipitation on 141 of the days.  Of those days, she predicted precipitation 129 times.  For the days in which there was no precipitation, she predicted precipitation 54 times.  a) What was Dominique’s hit rate, miss rate, false alarm rate, and correct rejection rate? b) Which value in part (a) is the most important for a meteorologist when predicting precipitation? c) Suggest one technique Dominique can use to improve her performance.

When making decisions, often times a person will use rules of thumb or shortcuts in order to save time. This is referred to as what?

As a student at MSU, you agree to abide by the MSU Honor Code: “As a Mississippi State University student I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do.” Please type your name below to indicate compliance with the University Honor Code.    I verify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this examination.

AP STYLE, ETC: If the item is correct, answer TRUE; incorrect, answer FALSE (Note: some items are complete sentences; others are not. The non-sentence items are not at the beginning or end of a sentence.) 8%

During the rewriting process, what does Chris Poore suggest to check the “sound” of your story?

Landolt rings are used to measure visual acuity. 

Geoff has taken his car to a mechanic for repair. The mechanic diagnosed the problem and has offered Geoff two possible repairs as a solution: Repair A: The repair costs $750. There is an 80% chance that this repair will solve the problem and no additional work will be needed.  If the repair doesn’t work, an additional repair will cost $400. Repair B: The repair costs $300. There is a 40% chance that this repair will solve the problem and no additional work will be needed.  If the repair doesn’t work, an additional repair will cost $800.  Using Expected Value Theory, which repair should Geoff tell the mechanic to make?  Be sure to show your work.