The word “this” as used in paragraph 2 refers to ___________.

The lack of printing regulations and the unenforceability of British copyright law in the American colonies made it possible for colonial printers occasionally to act as publishers. Although they rarely undertook major sj publishing project because it was difficult to sell books as cheaply as they could be imported from Europe printers 9 in Philadelphia did publish work that required only small amounts of capital, paper, and type. Broadsides could be published with minimal financial risk. Consisting of only one sheet of paper and requiring small amounts of type broadsides involved lower investments of capital than longer works. Furthermore, the broadside format lent itself to subjects of high, if temporary, interest, enabling them to meet with ready sale. If the broadside printer miscalculated, however, and produced a sheet that did not sell, it was not likely to be a major loss and the printer would know this immediately, There would be no agonizing wait with large amounts of capital tied up books gathering dust on the shelves, and creditors impatient for payment. In addition to broadsides, books and pamphlets, consisting mainly of political tracts, catechisms, primers, and chapbooks were relatively inexpensive to print and to buy. Chapbook were pamphlet-sized books, usually containing popular tales, ballads, poems, short plays, and jokes, small, both in formal and number of pages, they were generally bound simply, in boards (a form of cardboard) or merely stitched in paper wrappers (a sewn antecedent of modernday paperbacks). Pamphlets and chapbooks did not require fine paper or a great deal of type to produce they could thus be printed in large, costeffective editions and sold cheaply. By far, the most appealing publishing investments were to be found in small books that had proven to be steady sellers, providing a reasonably reliable source of income for the publisher. They would not, by nature, be highly topical or political, as such publications would prove of fleeting interest. Almanacs, annual publications that contained information on astronomy and weather patterns arranged according to the days, week, and months of a given year, provided the perfect steady seller because their information pertained to the locale in which they would be used. 

Which aspect of colonial printing does the passage mainly discuss?

Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds . When this short amount of time elapses , however , the numbers are erased from the memory . How did the information get there in the first place ? Information that makes its way to the short term memory ( STM ) does so via the sensory storage area . The brain has a filter which only allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM , also known as the working memory . There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memoiy . The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller , a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information . A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information such as a word or name rather than just a letter or number . Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking , or classifying similar information together . By organizing information , one can optimize the STM , and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage When making a conscious effort to memorize something , such as information for an exam many people engage in " rote rehearsal " . By repeating something over and over again , one is able to keep a memory alive . Unfortunately , this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions . As soon as a person stops rehearsing the information , it has the tendency to disappear . When a pen and paper are not handy people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it aloud . If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity to make a phone call , he will likely forget the number instantly . Therefore rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to long term memory . A better way is to practice " elaborate rehearsal " . This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre - existing long term memories .

What will happen if a dodder plant starts growing where there are no other plants around?

The word "appealing" is closest in meaning to ........

Dodder is an unusual and unwanted plant that attacks other plants. Except for its flowers, the plant looks like spaghetti noodles. Its almost leafless, thread–like stems hang down atop other plants that dodder needs to stay alive. Dodder does not produce its own food. Instead, it steals it from other plants. It feeds by sucking juices from the plant it is wrapped around, often making its host very weak or even killing it. Dodder can find other plants by their smell. When a dodder seedling starts growing, it follows the scent of plants it prefers, like tomato plants, potato plants, or other farm crops. Unlike most plants that usually grow in the direction of light or warmth, a dodder plant will grow in the direction of, for example, tomato odor––if a tomato happens to be growing nearby. However, a young dodder plant must find a host plant quickly. If it cannot catch a whiff of a potential host within a few days, it will dry up and disappear — even if there is plenty of water around. Once it finds a host, the young dodder plant will attach itself to it and start growing faster. At that point, the dodder plant will drop its root. Dodder is thus a difficult weed to manage and a real headache for farmers. When it does get out of hand, dodder can greatly reduce a farmer’s harvest or even destroy crops completely. Before sowing their produce, farmers in warm parts of the world often check to make sure no unwanted dodder seeds have intermingled with their crop seeds. This is a good way to stop dodder plants from sneaking their way into a crop field.

What is the main topic of the passage?

Which of the following statements about primary cooperation is supported by information in the passage?

Broadsides could bs published with little risk to colonial printers because they .........