1One day, Mister Toussaint came home to find an extra 300 euros’ worth of groceries on his doorstep. So he called up Miz Rousseau, the grocer, and said, “Why have you sent me all this food? My fridge is already full of delicious things. I don’t need this stuff and besides, I can’t pay for it.”
2But Miz Rousseau told him that he had ordered the food. His refrigerator had sent in the list, and she had the signed order to prove it.
3Furious, Mister Toussaint confronted his refrigerator. It was mysteriously empty, even though it had been full that morning. Or rather, it was almost empty: there was a single pouch of energy drink sitting on a shelf in the back. He’d gotten it from an enthusiastically smiling young woman on the metro platform the day before. She’d been giving them to everyone.
4“Why did you throw away all my food?” he demanded. The refrigerator hummed smugly at him.
5“It was spoiled,” it said.
6But the food hadn’t been spoiled. Mister Toussaint pored over his refrigerator’s diagnostics and logfiles, and soon enough, he had the answer. It was the energy beverage, of course.
7“Row, row, row your boat,” it sang. “Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, I’m offgassing ethylene.” Mister Toussaint sniffed the pouch suspiciously.
8“No you’re not,” he said. The label said that the drink was called LOONY GOONY and it promised ONE TRILLION TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN ESPRESSO!!!!!ONE11! Mister Toussaint began to suspect that the pouch was some kind of stupid Internet of Things prank. He hated those.
9He chucked the pouch in the rubbish can and put his new groceries away.
10The next day, Mister Toussaint came home and discovered that the overflowing rubbish was still sitting in its little bag under the sink. The can had not cycled it through the trapdoor to the chute that ran to the big collection-point at ground level, 104 stories below.
11“Why haven’t you emptied yourself?” he demanded. The trashcan told him that toxic substances had to be manually sorted. “What toxic substances?”
12So he took out everything in the bin, one piece at a time. You’ve probably guessed what the trouble was.
13“Excuse me if I’m chattery, I do not mean to nattery, but I’m a mercury battery!” LOONY GOONY’s singing voice really got on Mister Toussaint’s nerves.
14“No you’re not,” Mister Toussaint said.
15Mister Toussaint tried the microwave. Even the cleverest squeezy-pouch couldn’t survive a good nuking. But the microwave wouldn’t switch on. “I’m no drink and I’m no meal,” LOONY GOONY sang. “I’m a ferrous lump of steel!”
16The dishwasher wouldn’t wash it (“I don’t mean to annoy or chafe, but I’m simply not dishwasher safe!”). The toilet wouldn’t flush it (“I don’t belong in the bog, because down there I’m sure to clog!”). The windows wouldn’t retract their safety screen to let it drop, but that wasn’t much of a surprise.
17“I hate you,” Mister Toussaint said to LOONY GOONY, and he stuck it in his coat pocket. He’d throw it out in a trash-can on the way to work.
18They arrested Mister Toussaint at the 678th Street station. They were waiting for him on the platform, and they cuffed him just as soon as he stepped off the train. The entire station had been evacuated and the police wore full biohazard containment gear. They’d even shrinkwrapped their machine-guns.
19“You’d better wear a breather and you’d better wear a hat, I’m a vial of terrible deadly hazmat,” LOONY GOONY sang.
20When they released Mister Toussaint the next day, they made him take LOONY GOONY home with him. There were lots more people with LOONY GOONYs to process.
21Mister Toussaint paid the rush-rush fee that the storage depot charged to send over his container. They forklifted it out of the giant warehouse under the desert and zipped it straight to the cargo-bay in Mister Toussaint’s building. He put on old, stupid clothes and clipped some lights to his glasses and started sorting.
22Most of the things in the container were stupid. He’d been throwing away stupid stuff all his life, because the smart stuff was just so much easier. But then his grandpa had died and they’d cleaned out his little room at the pensioner’s ward and he’d just shoved it all in the container and sent it out to the desert.
23From time to time, he’d thought of the eight cubic meters of stupidity he’d inherited and sighed a put-upon sigh. He’d loved Grandpa, but he wished the old man had used some of the ample spare time from the tail end of his life to replace his junk with stuff that could more gracefully reintegrate with the materials stream.
24How inconsiderate!
25The house chattered enthusiastically at the toaster when he plugged it in, but the toaster said nothing back. It couldn’t. It was stupid. Its bread-slots were crusted over with carbon residue and it dribbled crumbs from the ill-fitting tray beneath it. It had been designed and built by cavemen who hadn’t ever considered the advantages of networked environments.
26It was stupid, but it was brave. It would do anything Mister Toussaint asked it to do.
27“It’s getting hot and sticky and I’m not playing any games, you’d better get me out before I burst into flames!” LOONY GOONY sang loudly, but the toaster ignored it.
28“I don’t mean to endanger your abode, but if you don’t let me out, I’m going to explode!” The smart appliances chattered nervously at one another, but the brave little toaster said nothing as Mister Toussaint depressed its lever again.
29Just as he did, he thought to check in with the flat’s diagnostics. Just in time, too! Its quorum-sensors were redlining as it listened in on the appliances’ consternation. Mister Toussaint unplugged the fridge and the microwave and the dishwasher.
30The cooker and trash-can were hard-wired, but they didn’t represent a quorum.
31The fire department took away the melted toaster and used their axes to knock huge, vindictive holes in Mister Toussaint’s walls. “Just looking for embers,” they claimed. But he knew that they were upset because there was simply no good excuse for sticking a pouch of independently powered computation and sensors and transmitters into an antique toaster and pushing down the lever until oily, toxic smoke filled the whole 104th floor.
32Mister Toussaint’s neighbors weren’t happy about it either.
33But Mister Toussaint didn’t mind. It had all been worth it, just to hear LOONY GOONY beg and weep for its life as its edges curled up and blackened.
34He argued mightily, but the firefighters refused to let him keep the toaster.Read the selection in your Student Edition and choose the best answer to each question.
The Brave Little Toaster
by Cory Doctorow
Which quotation from paragraphs 8–15 helps the reader understand the meaning of the word chafe in paragraph 16?
Read the selection in your Student Edition and choose the best answer to each question.
The Brave Little Toaster
by Cory Doctorow
What can be inferred about most science fiction stories?
What can be inferred about most science fiction stories?
They involve interactions between people and animals.
They present a world that never was and never could be.
They speculate on a world that might be possible one day.
They feature imaginative writing that accurately reflects life today.
7 answers
To answer your questions:
Which quotation from paragraphs 8–15 helps the reader understand the meaning of the word "chafe" in paragraph 16?
The best quotation to understand the meaning of "chafe" in this context comes from the microwave: “I’m no drink and I’m no meal,” LOONY GOONY sang. “I’m a ferrous lump of steel!” This helps convey that LOONY GOONY is an object that does not belong in environments where it could cause irritation or wear, which aligns with the meaning of "chafe," suggesting discomfort or irritation.
What can be inferred about most science fiction stories?
The most appropriate inference about most science fiction stories is: They speculate on a world that might be possible one day. This captures the essence of science fiction, where authors often explore futuristic ideas, technology, and scenarios that push the boundaries of our current understanding.
How does Mister Toussaint’s attitude toward the toaster evolve?
How does Mister Toussaint’s attitude toward the toaster evolve?
By the end of the story, Mister Toussaint wishes that the toaster were “smart.”
At first, Mister Toussaint thinks the toaster is “stupid,” but then he realizes its value.
Early in the story, Mister Toussaint is sentimental about the toaster, but later he asks the firefighters to take it away.
Until Mister Toussaint realizes he can integrate the toaster with his other appliances, he is worried about bringing it home.
Mister Toussaint's attitude toward the toaster evolves in the following way:
At first, Mister Toussaint thinks the toaster is “stupid,” but then he realizes its value.
Initially, he refers to the toaster as "stupid" due to its outdated design and lack of modern features. However, by the end of the story, he values the toaster’s bravery and willingness to act in spite of its limitations, particularly when he pushes it to operate in a dangerous situation. This transition reflects a growing appreciation for the toaster's inherent qualities, even though it is not technologically advanced.
Which statement best describes the theme of the story?
Which statement best describes the theme of the story?
People’s lives are enriched by smart technology.
Toasters can do a lot more than just toast bread.
It is human nature to want what we cannot have.
Technology can create more problems than it solves.
The statement that best describes the theme of the story is:
Technology can create more problems than it solves.
This theme is evident throughout the story as Mister Toussaint grapples with various smart appliances and the chaos caused by the LOONY GOONY energy drink. The narrative highlights how the advanced technology, represented by LOONY GOONY and the interconnected smart devices, leads to unexpected complications and frustrations rather than improving his life. Ultimately, the story suggests that reliance on such technology can result in significant problems, showcasing its potential drawbacks.
Which quotation from the passage best supports the answer to Question 8?
Which quotation from the passage best supports the answer to Question 8?
He chucked the pouch in the rubbish can and put his new groceries away. (paragraph 9)
The next day, Mister Toussaint came home and discovered that the overflowing rubbish was still sitting in its little bag under the sink. (paragraph 10)
The smart appliances chattered nervously at one another, but the brave little toaster said nothing as Mister Toussaint depressed its lever again. (paragraph 28)
He argued mightily, but the firefighters refused to let him keep the toaster. (paragraph 34)
The quotation from the passage that best supports the theme that "technology can create more problems than it solves" is:
The next day, Mister Toussaint came home and discovered that the overflowing rubbish was still sitting in its little bag under the sink. (paragraph 10)
This quotation illustrates a direct consequence of the smart technology not functioning as expected, which leads to a buildup of trash and a subsequent problem for Mister Toussaint. It underscores the idea that despite having advanced technology, it can sometimes complicate rather than simplify life.
