Read the following passage below and answer the question that follows.
while working at an ice cream shop for the summer, paulina had to attend employee meetings. during her first meeting, her boss made the following remarks to the staff: “you guys are really messy. every morning when i open the store, the floor is dirty, the counters need to be wiped, and the dishwasher hasn’t been emptied.” paulina attempted to offer an explanation: “mr. smithers, i—” mr. smithers talked over paulina: “i don’t care what you have to say. we’ll review the closing procedures again today. if you people mess it up again, we’ll need to reconsider your employment here.”
which type of communication style does mr. smithers use?
a. honest
b. passive
c. assertive
d. aggressive

Read this passage: many manufacturers prefer plastic as a material for containers because it can be molded into many shapes. but plastic is not very strong. it must be fused with glass or steel for strength. it is also not very durable. even the strongest plastic can break under enough pressure. the biggest disadvantage to using plastic is that it does not decompose. while plastic can be recycled, doing so is tedious and difficult. while it may be more expensive and difficult to work with, aluminum is a much stronger building material with far greater tensile strength. it conducts electricity because it is metal. best of all, aluminum is very easy to recycle. even if it is thrown away, it decomposes much more quickly than most manufacturing materials. how does the compare-and-contrast organizational pattern of the passage support the author's purpose? a. the passage gradually leads up to the point about decomposition to inform the reader about the importance of recycling plastics. b. the passage lists the advantages and disadvantages of each material to make a case for the use of plastic and not aluminum in containers. c. the passage begins with a description of plastic's problems in order to call attention to the good qualities of aluminum. d. the passage shows the superiority of aluminum in order to make a case for the production of stronger plastics.