ReadthefollowingpassageandmarktheletterA,B, C,orD onyouranswersheettoindicatethecorrectanswertoeachofthe questions.

ThelackofprintingregulationsandtheunenforceabilityofBritishcopyright lawintheAmericancoloniesmadeitpossibleforcolonialprintersoccasionally toactaspublishers.Althoughtheyrarelyundertookmajorsjpublishingproject becauseitwasdifficulttosellbooksascheaplyastheycouldbeimportedfrom Europeprinters9inPhiladelphiadidpublishworkthatrequiredonlysmall amountsofcapital,paper,andtype.Broadsidescouldbepublishedwith minimalfinancialrisk.Consistingofonlyonesheetofpaperandrequiring smallamountsoftypebroadsidesinvolvedlowerinvestmentsofcapitalthan longer works. Furthermore, thebroadside format lent itself to subjects of high, iftemporary,interest,enablingthemtomeetwithreadysale.Ifthebroadside printermiscalculated,however,andproducedasheetthatdidnotsell,itwas notlikelytobeamajorlossandtheprinterwouldknowthisimmediately,There wouldbenoagonizingwaitwithlargeamountsofcapitaltiedupbooks gathering dust on theshelves, and creditors impatient for payment.

Inadditiontobroadsides,booksandpamphlets,consistingmainlyofpolitical tracts,catechisms,primers,andchapbookswererelativelyinexpensivetoprint andtobuy.Chapbookwerepamphlet-sizedbooks,usuallycontainingpopular tales, ballads, poems, shortplays, andjokes, small, both in formal and number ofpages,theyweregenerallyboundsimply,inboards(aformofcardboard)or merelystitchedinpaperwrappers(asewnantecedentofmodernday paperbacks).Pamphletsandchapbooksdidnotrequirefinepaperoragreat dealoftypetoproducetheycouldthusbeprintedinlarge,cost-effective editions and sold cheaply.

Byfar,themostappealingpublishinginvestmentsweretobefoundinsmall booksthathadproventobesteadysellers,providingareasonablyreliable sourceofincomeforthepublisher.Theywouldnot,bynature,behighlytopical orpolitical,assuchpublicationswouldproveoffleetinginterest.Almanacs, annualpublicationsthatcontainedinformationonastronomyandweather patternsarrangedaccordingtothedays,week,andmonthsofagivenyear, providedtheperfectsteadysellerbecausetheirinformationpertainedtothe locale in which theywould be used.

What is the main topic of the passage?