Question #N120
A famous scientist once said that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” This means that everything has a cost, even if it isn’t immediately apparent. Economists often use this phrase to illustrate the idea that every choice has a trade-off, meaning there will always be something that must be given up in order to gain something else. What is the most likely reason why the scientist put the word "thing" in quotation marks?
The quotation marks around "thing" are most likely used to
A. emphasize that the word "thing" is being used in a specific way.
B. indicate that the scientist is quoting someone else.
C. suggest that the scientist is unsure of the meaning of the word "thing."
D. show that the word "thing" is a slang term.
Correct Answer is: A
The quotation marks around "thing" emphasize that the word is being used in a specific way to emphasize the idea that everything has a cost, even if it is not immediately apparent. This use of quotation marks helps to highlight the unusual, or metaphorical, use of the word "thing" in this context.