Read the passage and answer: The Federal Reserve adjusts interest rates as one tool to influence economic activity. When the economy slows, lower interest rates can encourage borrowing and spending. Conversely, when inflation rises, higher rates can cool demand and stabilize prices. The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meets eight times a year to evaluate economic conditions and make policy decisions. What is the tone of this passage?

Tone is the author's attitude conveyed through word choice and style. This passage uses neutral, factual language ('adjusts interest rates,' 'eight times a year,' 'evaluate economic conditions') without emotional words, opinions, or value judgments. The author is informing, not arguing or expressing feelings. Distractor analysis: 'angry/critical' — no negative emotional language; 'humorous' — no jokes or playfulness; 'sad/reflective' — no melancholic content. Common tone categories: (1) Objective: neutral, informative, factual, analytical; (2) Positive: optimistic, enthusiastic, hopeful, celebratory, affectionate; (3) Negative: critical, pessimistic, sad, angry, frustrated; (4) Other: humorous, sarcastic, reverent, suspenseful, urgent, mournful, nostalgic. Identifying tone: (1) Notice emotional words; (2) Notice connotations (positive/negative associations); (3) Consider what the author seems to feel about the topic; (4) Look at sentence structures (short urgent vs flowing descriptive).