阅读材料来源
Adapted from Christopher Hitchens, "The Lovely Stones." ©2009 by Vanity Fair. Originally published June 16, 2009.
这篇作文把目光投向了欧洲艺术史，文章将雅典卫城华美壮观的画卷展现在每个考生眼前，让大家在写作文的同时，仿佛穿梭于帕特农神庙之中，感受着其建筑之美和残缺之痛。
文化领域一直是报刊文章关心的重要话题，就像北美区首考作文致敬《独立宣言》一样，这道作文题也别具匠心地致敬了欧洲的古国文化。本篇阅读文章节选自Vanity Fair（美国当代著名生活杂志），文章的主旨是“British government should return original Parthenon structures to Greece”，作者的目的是号召英国政府慷慨归还文物，以保证希腊帕特农神庙装饰和文化的完整性。
范文
In "The Lovely Stones," by Christopher Hitchens, he argues that parts of the Parthenon located in London should be returned to the Acropolis Museum in Greece. Through hyperbole, analogy, and ultimately rhetoric reasoning rooted heavily in ethos, Hitchens successfully convinces the reader that the Acropolis Museum is the rightful owner of all of its original parts.
Hitchens recounts the history of the devastation of the Parthenon from 5 AD to the German occupation of Athens. Its importance is stressed in the introduction when Hitchens describes the Parthenon as the "one building in the world that is absolutely right." Through the lens of history, the reader sees the fall of one of history's great monuments. Important empires are noted to have "desecrated," "converted," and made the Parthenon "fly the Nazi flag." The hyperbolic invective leaves the reader appalled at the atrocities commuted. The author arrives at the premise in the 19th century, the British "sawed off half the Parthenon and carried it away." The hyperbole in the case is evident when Hitchens exaggerates the faults of the British leaving the reader curious as to why the British are the main focus of Hitchens' tirade. It is a particularly effective method to address an argument in a memorable way. Readers recall the atrocity committed by the British more vividly and the writer is free to continue his argument with further evidence.
In paragraph three, Hitchens abruptly shifts his rhetoric to an analogy. The reader was last left with the hyperbolic image of "half a Parthenon" and the author now addresses the problem. He asks the reader to consider the "grotesqueness" of having different parts of an artefact located in different cities. Using half of the Mona Lisa and the Greek statue of Iris as examples in his analogy, Hitchens is emphasizing both the stature of the Parthenon and the denigration of a historical artefact. He acknowledges that maybe his "analogy appears overdrawn" but his tone is firm and consistent enough to persuade the reader of the wrongs committed by the British. The reader senses his outrage as he appeals to the readers sense of right and wrong as well as a conscience to fix a "broken" Parthenon. His analogy is simple, considerate, and persuasive, leaving the reader wanting to see the reunification of the Parthenon. The analogy easily illuminates the issue and the author can now establish a resolution.
Using an appeal to conscience, Hitchens concedes that it is "unfortunately true" that in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Greeks had allowed the Parthenon to corrode via "acid rain" and its unsuitable location for a museum. However, he then shifts the argument back in his favour by stating the recent repairs. The argument has shifted back to his favour when he states the Museum will open with "ten times the amount of space of the old site." The reader believes that the Greeks have now undertaken their responsibilities seriously. The argument can be interpreted as ethos because the Greeks are doing the "right deeds" and have been absolved of their blame in the past. The effect of his ethical argument is allowing the reader to side easily with the Greeks. Paragraph six is another particularly effective one in terms of ethos as Hitchens shows the reader how pieces from the Parthenon located in Italy and Germany have been returned to Greece. Since the other "art galleries in Europe have seen the point of reunification" is a line that aligns the author's views with those of the established majority. The reader is prompted to agree with the author on an ethical and correct professional stance. The vitriol is reserved for the British in the first line when he criticizes their "constipated fashion." His ethical reasoning is summarized at the end of the paragraph when he asks "Perhaps these acts (displayed by the other countries) could ‘set a precedent'? " Finally, as the reader has aligned with the Greeks, Hitchens again uses ethos to firmly place the blame on the British. It leaves the reader with a clear understanding of why Hitchens is incensed at the British and what could be done to resolve the issue. The reader now wants the British to return the other "half" of the Parthenon because it is both the right thing to do and the other nations have done the same.
This persuasive passage used several rhetoric devices to not only make readers take a stance on the author, but also make his claim more powerful.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Eric Klinenberg, "Air-Conditioning Will Be End of Us."©2013 by Time Originally published July 17, 2013.
范文
In "Air-Conditioning Will Be End of Us" by Eric Klinenburg, he argues against the use of air conditioners as the dominant source of cooling. Ultimately, he wants society to adjust and adapt to climate change without heavily relying on air conditioning. His primary reasons are provided by diction, logos, and facts written in first person point of view.
Klinenburg delves into the issue quickly by stating that the "heat alert was a nice reminder, but an utterly ineffectual one." The reader is reminded that America is making an attempt at energy conservation yet the measures implemented are inadequate. The diction in "nice" but "ineffectual" is the shortest and most straightforward way to present an issue. The reader is left questioning the purpose of the author's claim leaving him free to elaborate. At the end of the paragraph, the author explains, "Americans use twice as much energy for air conditioning as we did 20 years ago. As a climate-change strategy, this is as dumb as it gets." The fact implies that Americans have failed miserably in their attempt to conserve. "As dumb as it gets" is the author's diction fiercely imploring the reader to consider other methods. It explains the author's earlier premise that the climate strategy is "nice" but "ineffectual." "Dumb" is almost colloquial in terms of diction and expresses strong disapproval. The reader is convinced the existing strategies are ineffective and looks for possible improvements.
The author states that it is "indefensible" how Americans can convert homes and offices into "igloos" regardless of "how hot it is outdoors." As a nod to his "heat alert" reminder line, the author is trying to alert the public conscience that conserving air conditioning use is a personal responsibility, an effort that appeals to logos. The sentence is a specific reminder of the thesis and how in "most" cases, air conditioning is not the solution. "Regardless of how hot it is outdoors" works in a manner that is direct, and his appeal for readers to save more makes sense in a way that effects the conscience. Air conditioners continue to be used in a nonsensical fashion that ignores their purpose. The reader understands the illogical implications and sides with the author's common sense.
The author provides other possibilities via facts such as the "time honoured cooling technologies such as shading from trees and cross ventilating from windows and fans." The argument mirrors and counters the positives offered by air conditioning usage at work. "Time honored" provides justification and is masterful use of information to convince readers. His arguments work because the methods and effects he proposes based on his knowledge of "burning fossil fuels" and alternate methods as shown by "shading and cross ventilating." Readers remain convinced that there are other ways in the long term strategy of climate change and that air conditioning can be substituted.
Finally, the author criticizes how humanity is trying to "engineer hot air out of existence" instead of "adjusting." His argument is targeted at the long-term side effects on the climate. The perspectives he considers as well as the scope of his argument reveals a well-researched argument that succeeds in raising awareness in the reader.
This argument is targeted at the long-term side effects on the climate. The perspectives he considers as well as the scope of his argument reveals a well-researched argument that succeeds in raising awareness in the reader.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Sita Slavov, "A Carbon Tax Beats a Vacuum Ban." ©2014 by Contributor Originally published Jan 23, 2014.
范文
The European Union will ban most of the vacuum cleaners sold in the markets. A friendlier consumer based approach would be carbon taxing. Sita Slavov's "A Carbon Tax Beats a Carbon Ban" is concerned with criticizing the new "prohibition" on vacuum cleaners by using rhetorical questioning, facts, as well as vilification to offer a solution that is directly rooted in the problem — carbon.
Paragraph one to three serve to destroy any notion that the ‘Carbon Ban' is logical. The author asks rhetorical questions related to the relationship between consumers and products. She follows them with, "Too bad. They're banned." She calls the regulations "intrusive" on consumer choice and proceeds to ask more rhetorical questions. "Don't policy makers have better things to do?" works superbly as a tough complaint lodged towards the EU and their restrictive policies. The rhetorical questions highlight the purpose of the essay — replacing the carbon ban with a carbon tax. The consistent rhetorical questioning convinces the reader that the author sides with the average consumers and that she has their best interests in mind.
Paragraph six has the author stating how detractors of the ban claim that running a low powered vacuum cleaner for a longer time might increase the amount of electricity used. The author is now employing facts and statistics to confront the topic. The opposite effect of the intended carbon ban is a cause for concern in the reader. Paragraph eight cites a poll in 2011 where leading economists agreed that a carbon tax is the less expensive method. The evidence helps the author's premise directly and effectively. The effect is compelling as the author has both sided with the consumer and provided concrete economic evidence. A carbon tax is a better solution because firstly, it removes the need for governments to "micromanage" consumers. Secondly, it provides consumers with a choice to buy either green products or choose other ways to limit their carbon footprint. The author convinces the reader that her solution actually targets the real problem — carbon. Both the removal of the need to "micromanage" consumers and the choice given to consumers are parallels to paragraphs one and three. The facts are shown in a way that also answers the questions in a logical manner that addresses the readers concerns.
Finally, the author's use of vilification neatly finishes her argument. Taxes are aligned with carbon emissions and the fact that "economists of all political stripes agree" implies an informed stance from a "higher ground." The author is ultimately effective because she targets the "right" demographic — the consumers. She quotes the "right" demographic — "economists of all political stripes." What the author does that is very effective is vilifying the EU when she describes them as "government bureaucrats." How the ban is "politically feasible" and not the best "economic" decision. She allies herself with the consumers, and is very careful in her word choice regarding politics. Her sources from the polls are of varying political backgrounds and finally, her choice is the one that "represents a compromise between conservatives and liberals" and "addresses climate change," grants consumer "freedom," and raises revenue. From the beginning in paragraph three, the author has already planned her siding carefully. The consistent negative connotations associated with the government continue from paragraph five to paragraph nine. It has the deliberate effect of almost forcing the reader to side with her as one wants to join a demographic that represents common sense and the "higher ground."
Writing as a reaction to the vacuum ban act, the author argues that the carbon tax is a better solution. She builds this claim by making use of example, rhetorical question and facts.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from "Raise the Minimum Wage" by The Times Editorial Board © 2016, Los Angeles Times.
范文
"In Raise the Minimum Wage" by The Times' editorial board, the author argues for raising the minimum wage in California. The argument is that the "gains offset the losses" and the author uses economic facts and statistics to support his claims. Although there are clear negatives, raising the minimum wage will benefit workers in the "long term." Through the essay, the author weighs the benefits of the bill in favor of the workers. The author sympathizes with the employers and attempts to write from their perspective, but is finally more concerned with suggesting alternative methods for employers to cope with raising minimum wage. It is a successful rhetorical method due facts and statistics, pathos, and logos.
Beginning with a historical recount of California's minimum wage history, the author takes the reader to 1916, where the first minimum wage was first established. It was risen up "25 times since then" from $8 to the currently proposed $10. The author is quick to state that the left leaning Economic Policy Institute states the bill will effect 3.4 million low wage Californians and the huge incremental increase is to parallel the cost of living increases in later years. The argument is written in a matter of fact tone relying on historical facts and statistics and is also quick to note a possible left wing bias. The retelling of history establishes the author's topic of "raising the minimum wage" and also serves to create a "logical cushion" for the reader. Setting a historical precedent helps the argument and creates a benchmark for readers to follow — minimum wage to $10.
The author states that a "full-time minimum-wage worker with one dependent barely makes enough today to stay above the federal poverty line of $15,510 a year." The statement evokes the law and a fundamental appeal to see workers with one dependent being paid higher. Addressing the audience with "sadly," the author begins pinpointing a specific demographic from the evidence where he would like the reader to sympathize with. The reader realizes the minimum wage workers are in their "mid- to late- 20s and a third are parents." There is a subtle hint of pathos when the reader sympathizes with the hypothetical parent and child. As a method of persuasion, it works effectively because the author succeeds in evoking pathos for a more specific demographic instead of repeatedly utilizing the generic "minimum wage workers" label. There is a sense of urgency being bestowed upon the reader as the target demographic requires the salary to survive and not as a means to "supplement their allowance."
In the following lines, the author highlights the importance of "helping" the demographic. The author explains that although the economy is growing, the "sluggish" growth in California due to low consumer spending has not allowed employers to hire more workers. Raising the minimum wage is one of the solutions to the slow growth in California because most minimum workers are not savers. The logical connections are clear and linear from the demographic affected by the topic and how in turn, the demographic can be used to help the economy. As a return to a more logic based argument, the solution to a larger macroeconomic problem can be provided by the same people the minimum wage aims to help. For a rhetorical argument based on logos, it is a nouveau approach to a bigger problem. The reader understands the logical argument and is quick to note that helping the minimum wage workers could lead to a more positive ripple effect.
Returning to the argument, the last line is a resolute affirmation that "no Californian should be stuck with poverty wages."
Throughout the article, the author has described the Californians that will benefit from the minimum wage rise. The author has also described possible benefits to the economy and provided a solution to the party most negatively affected. The scenarios described are supported by statistics and provide a wide scope for the reader to understand the full implications of raising the minimum wage and why the reader should side with raising the minimum wage.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Frank Bruni, "Read, Kids, Read." ©2014 by New York Times. Originally published May 24, 2014.
此道写作题目从文学阅读的角度进行了素材选择，本文探讨的是在电子科技时代对于阅读这一需求的回归。这篇文章跟官方指南中提供的"Why Literature Matters" 和 "Digital Parent Trap"有着同样的视角。
范文
In "Read, Kids, Read" by Frank Bruni, the author convinces readers that "reading" will benefit the children of today. He does so with a strong, personal, unwavering persuasive tone and several findings from researchers and quotes from established sources. Using statistics, diction, and research, the author persuades the youth to read.
The author begins in a first person narrative that sums up his rather "soft" stance on birthdays and school productions. Using a "personal" tone, as an uncle he admits he makes mistakes regarding the former two examples but is "steady" and "relentless" when it comes to books. He admits he may be responsible for 10% of book sales when it comes to "The Fault in Our Stars." The author's responsibility for book sales can be interpreted as an introduction to his argument. When it comes to books, the author "believes in reading." The author's diction can be summarized in "steady," "relentless," "hurling novels," and "believes in reading." The diction serves as personal evidence for his argument and reveals an aggressive stance. Or, to paraphrase the author's diction, a "hard" stance. The reader is convinced of his authentic and sincere passion as well as the lengths he will undergo.
His reason for writing the essay is given with a statistic claiming, "Fewer than 20 percent of 17-year-olds now read for pleasure ‘almost every day.' Back in 1984, 31 percent did." His response to the statistic is depression. The author appears dismayed at the eleven percent decrease in young readers since 1984. The statistic serves its purpose in the essay as the actual argument. Only in paragraph four does the author present data to reveal the reasons and goals of his essay. As a means of stating the argument, the statistic is memorable and factual enough to justify the author's persuasive intent. The author wants the reader to share his feeling at the statistic presented and he succeeds in summoning a feeling of disappointment at the very least.
After interviewing neurologists, the author's answers found reading and intelligence were correlated. Reading increases neural activity. Other sources indicate that reading increases empathy. Readers are more adept at reading people. Similar to chess, reading allows people to focus and concentrate. Readers practice something called "delayed gratification" in today's world of "sensory overload." The author answers his statistical argument with the cause of the problem. The youth are embracing "sensory overload." He supplies research with positive benefits of reading. The research is a crucial part of the author's argument but finally, it is his personal volunteering that can vouch for his evidence. The author testifies to the research that he wakes up with a focused mind if he spends the night reading and not watching TV. "It has smoothed and focused us." Again, the author volunteers as primary evidence for the research and it is his personal touch that develops his thesis so well. The overall effect sounds like a "personal crusade" for getting the youth to read and the noted benefits are conducive to his argument. Finally, as a testament to the neurologists, his first person research is both refreshing, unique, and appears as a successful "result" to his "experiment."
Finally, the author's stance on reading as well as his own method of rhetoric is stated by himself. "Books are personal, passionate." Although the findings of his research are sound, his own voice and first person accounts and conclusions are the main strength of the argument for letting "kids read".
The author's use of several evidences, persuasive element establish his argument of the need for kid's reading and persuade his audience of the need to do so.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Zadie Smith, "The North West London Blues." 2012 by NYREV, Inc. Originally published June 2, 2012.
Writer Zadie Smith wrote the following piece in response to news that several local libraries in the greater London area, including Kensal Rise and Willesden Green Libraries, would be closed down.
此道题与实战题五出题方向相似，都是关注文化领域的话题，其中一个把焦点集中于提倡阅读书籍方面，另一个则重点探讨图书馆保留的问题。
范文
In "North London Blues" by Zadie Smith, she argues that libraries should not be closed down. She uses pathos and logos to attempt to convince readers. Her rhetorical questioning also remains effective as well as her usage of repetition.
In paragraph one, the author begins by asking a problem related to libraries. She admits that libraries have become a type of "obsolescence." The question "what kind of problem is a library?" is strong rhetoric implying that libraries are not a problem. The questioning also implies an institution that is fading with time. She then asks another question which reveals why libraries are fading. Do people not want a "physical reality?" The rhetorical questioning reveals books are now available online. The author provides a first hand account of how "good" libraries are full but are being shut down because they do not provide profit. The two questions being asked by the author are her arguments and serve as a constant voice throughout the essay for the reader to return to. Her last paragraph solves the argument by asking another question. "Can we keep our libraries?" The literary device is repetitive and effective in conveying the author's distress and the reader sides with her frustration.
In paragraph two, the author provides evidence for the argument. "Neglected libraries get neglected, and this cycle, in time, provides the excuse to close them. Well-run libraries are filled with people because what a good library offers cannot be easily found elsewhere: an indoor public space in which you do not have to buy anything in order to stay." The first line implies a "survival of the fittest" mentality which explains that low demand for libraries will cause them to perish. The logic in the second line suggesting that well run libraries are filled with people because people can read for free. Therefore, the reader is prompted to face the illogical problem of closing a commodity that is seemingly performing well on the market. Also, it is the unique "experience of libraries" that the writer stresses. Logically, people flock to unique commodities that do not ask too much of their wallet. It is an argument that can be traced back to the first paragraph and it can be interpreted as the writer answering the question — what is the problem with libraries? The reader finds her logical evidence and reasoning effective and agrees that libraries are not a problem.
The author readily admits that it is mostly pathos, and not ethos or logos is the reason to keep libraries open. She then states the straightforward arguments related to pathos — "We are humans, not robots." The statement "the only thing left on high street that doesn't want your wallet" is an effective advertisement that links to a subjective answer of the argument. Libraries are not a problem because they are the last of an "experience" that does not ask for money. By reminding the reader that "we are humans", the author wants the reader to feel her own sense of loss for a product deemed obsolete by the market. She succeeds because she wants the reader to feel like "humans" with a "soul" for a nostalgic product. The reader understands the emotional appeal behind the argument as well as the clearly stated style of rhetoric.
The strength of the argument lied in its repetitive rhetorical questioning and pathos. The separate answers the author provides the reader build effectively from personal persuasion to the eventual use of statistics.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Godfrey Harris ＆ Daniel Stiles, "The Wrong Way to Protect Elephants" ©2014 by New York Times. Originally published March 27, 2014.
"每一根光洁美丽的象牙背后都是一群人对一条无辜生命的残杀。"随着人与环境以及人与动物之间的矛盾日益加剧，环保类题材在考试中已成为热门。在这篇写作考试中，作者针对大象保护的法案和措施展开了颇具思辨思维的探讨。
范文
As a reaction to the new sanctions imposed upon African elephant ivory trade, writer Godfrey Harris argues that an entirely different method should be implemented. Harris effectively argues his point by using diction, logos, and imagery.
Harris begins his essay with an image of a Steinway piano being built in 1862. Initially, the reader finds it puzzling why the author is mentioning a piano in an essay regarding the ban of ivory. He provides further imagery and the answer when he reveals it has traveled to Japan for "storage" and its rightful owner awaits its arrival in the United States. The piano cannot return due to its ivory keys the ban on ivory being enforced. The Steinway piano serves as introduction in paragraph one, evidence in paragraphs eight and nine, and a conclusion. His return to the image of the piano in Japan is significant in the last paragraph as it provides the reader with a lingering image of a piano that is both memorable and serves as a fitting, detailed reminder of "the world's oldest piano" being unfairly treated. While the other literary techniques employed by the author are effective, his timed use of imagery ensures readers will remember his argument via one important image.
By appealing to a broad audience with "anyone" who owns African elephant ivory, and following it by providing evidence with "bracelets and tea sets," Harris turns the seemingly "rare" African elephant ivory into an issue that most readers will identify with. It urges the reader to consider the unnecessary ramifications people face regarding a law that "seemingly"prohibits ivory trade. His diction regarding "anyone" and "rare" effectively make ivory a commodity that readers can identify with. Making ivory sales "impossible" is the author's attempt to use diction to persuade readers that the new ivory trade laws are in his own words, "rigid" and "draconian." Attacking the "absurdity" of the ivory sales ban is the author's first step in his essay.
Paragraph four shifts to logos as Harris uses facts and causality to persuade readers of the cumbersome nature of the ivory law. The slight difference in the paragraph is that Harris magnifies and specifies the problems everyday people will face by shifting the focus of the problem to owners, musicians, and collectors. They will need to face "monthlong delays" and "meet the extremely difficult standards necessary to sell them." The logical implication behind the argument is that the ban effects too broad a populace and its standards are too high. The reader is forced to side with the authors' logic and also does not want a law that inconveniences the masses. His solution urging education from China to decrease demand for ivory is also very practical. Targeting the source of the issue, the author makes an educated answer. It is logos that convinces the reader to side with Harris due to the very existence of a law that affects commonplace professions. His answer also provides a better solution to the existing ban.
It testifies Harris' strength in combining imagery, secondary evidence, and pathos and logos. The last sentence is Harris' call to arms as it seeks to gather readers across every spectrum in time and culture to find alternate methods to protect elephants.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from John W. Fitzpatrick ＆ George Fenwick, "Bad for the birds, bad for all of us." ©2013 by Washington Post. Originally published August 8, 2013.
(John W. Fitzpatrick is director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. George Fenwick is president of the American Bird Conservancy.)
范文
In "Bad for the birds, bad for all of us" by Fitzpatrick and Fenwick, the authors argue for passing the new farm bill which will enable the preservation of native birds. Using facts and statistics, logos, and personification, the authors convince the readers that passing the farm bill will have positive benefits on both the environment and the agricultural industry.
The authors mostly uses statistics describing two specific types of birds that have plummeted 70% and 60% in the past years. The logical process of the essay works well as the author then reveals that bird populations have seen a rebound thanks to the Conservation Reserve Program. Due to the CRP, a breed of sparrows has increased twenty five times in population. Besides helping the birds, the authors note "124 million pounds of phosphorous and 623 million pounds of nitrogen are kept out of waterways." The benefits of the CRP transforms into the focal point of the essay. Thus far, the essay has identified a solution to the problem of declining bird populations with credible evidence based on statistics. The statistic functions as thesis, evidence, and conclusion. The reader is prompted to side with the authors on CRP based evidence for the growth in population of birds.
Then, the authors begin to convince readers of how the CRP will benefit the daily lives of people using logic. Farmers are the ones being helped the most as "new landowner sign-ups typically exceed the allotted funding, often meeting the quotas within days or even hours of their release." By giving farmers the money to grow crops, the CRP provides "conservation incentives" to encourage grasslands. The farmers are being paid to "grow crops and graze cattle in a more sustainable manner." The authors then further assure the readers that thanks to a report made, the incentives "work." By using logos, the author explains how the CRP is in high demand by farmers based on facts. In turn, the incentives will benefit the farmers and ultimately, the environment. The reader is convinced of the merits and feasibility of the farm bill. Also, the environment and farmers have been taken into consideration and there is enough logical proof to warrant the CRP.
The authors begin with personification when they describe "birds singing to us in greatly reduced numbers." As the beginning of an essay, the authors remind readers that declining bird populations are a sign of a failing ecosystem. As an essay introduction, the usage of personification is intended to serve as a lead to the evidence, in literary parallel to the "bird warning people" of their failed habitat. By stating that the birds are telling the reader to "do more to help," the authors give the reader a cause, a motto, and the thesis. Returning to personification in the last paragraph, the author reminds the reader that it is "essential to pass the CRP. Otherwise the silence of the birds will spread to new heartlands." Without the CRP, the damage done could be far greater. The last use of personification serves as both a summary of the authors' argument and an emphasis on the merits of the CRP. It joins the knowledge gained by the reader on the CRP with the now "silence" of the birds. The change from the "singing" birds to the "silent" birds is nuanced personification that is intended as an unforgettable reminder inside the reader's mind.
It is a good and effective essay with utilization of several rhetoric devices, reminding the reader that the original intent of the authors is to salvage the bird population.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Linda Moore, "Americans' Future Has to Be Multilingual." ©2012 by Wash Diplomat. Originally published August 31, 2012.
范文
In "Americans Future Has to Be Multilingual" by Linda Moore, the author argues for the multilingual future for American citizens via a series of statistics, secondary research, and quotations. In an increasingly monolingual America, the author thinks multilingualism will enable American citizens to be on par with the rest of the world.
The author begins by addressing a new study indicating eight in 10 Americans speak only English. She also mentions "the opposite is true among our economic competitors." The point is proven with another statistic stating 200 million Chinese people are studying English yet only 24,000 are studying Chinese. It is a holistic statistic that begins in university where foreign language degrees account for only 1 percent of US undergraduates. The essay starts with statistical evidence for the introduction and explains the purpose for her thesis. Although her thesis is targeted towards a brighter future her evidence remains rooted in the present and she provides the factual information for the problem she wishes to resolve. As the essay is targeted towards an American demographic, the text serves its purpose to shed light on the glaring monolingual issues America is facing. The reader is saddened regarding the statistics comparing Americans and Chinese people when it comes to learning their respective languages.
The biggest help for the author in her goal to implement multilingual education comes from a quote from a joint task force led by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. It states, "Education failure puts the United States future economic prosperity, global position, and public safety at risk." It warns of an America struggling to keep its pace globally if the monolingual "problem" is allowed to "fester for too long." The possible repercussions are huge as the author interprets "education failure" to mean her more specified form of multilingual education. If the statistics in paragraphs one to four were used as a means of illustrating an issue, then the quotations serve to magnify their importance. Its importance is aided by including a quotation from well known authority figures with the words "at risk" attached to the end. The quotation helps the reader reach her point in a more authoritative manner that will have readers firmly concerned with the gravity of the situation.
In the fifth paragraph, the author notes the benefits of multilingual education. As research from the University of Georgia indicated, bilingual children "perform better on standardized tests than their monolingual peers." Research also proves better coursework grades, focus, planning, and ability to solve problems. It can also help people stave off the effects of ageing and improve career prospects. The research is aimed at solving the problem the author addresses in paragraphs one and two — a broad American demographic that is falling behind Europe and China in terms of foreign languages. The research functions as a solution to the statistics and aims at creating a multilingual future for America. The research is similarly holistic to the evidence presented as it addresses Americans from SAT tests to their career prospects. Based on the statistics and research, the reader is convinced that America is lagging and that the implementation bilingual education at a primary level would cause major benefits to Americans.
阅读材料来源
Adapted from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, "It's Time for Paid Family and Medical Leave to Empower Working Women and Modernize the Workplace." ©2014 by Huffington post. Originally published April 07, 2014.
范文
In "It's Time for Paid Family..." by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the author argues for the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act and the implementation of Paid Family ＆ Medical Leave for every US worker. She firmly convinces the reader of the validity of her proposal via ethos, statistics, and quotations.
In paragraphs two and three, the author notes the rise of single parents and the unfairness of having a woman be the one to care for a child or relative. The situation causes many women to leave the work force and lose their "income, job opportunities and retirement benefits throughout their lifetime." Women are being presented with an ultimatum of job or caring for a loved one. Using ethos as a means of argument, the author states "this is not a choice any family should have." The first line in paragraph three states, "hardworking men and women deserve not only job security, but also a pay check when they need to care for a loved one." The ethically strong rhetoric is evidenced by words such as "unfairness" and "deserve." Its effective in serving as a background summary and evidence prior to the author stating her thesis. By giving an introduction using ethos, the author easily defines her purpose for correcting a perceived wrong. As its target demographic should be Americans in the job industry, the reader should side with the author based on how "unfair" their conscious deems the loss of "income, opportunities, and benefits."
Using a quotation from President Obama, a woman "deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to take care of a sick one without running into hardship." It briefly touches upon some of the important points made by the author in paragraphs two and three. Particularly clever to note, the word "deserve" is being repeated to signify similar intentions. After taking a crucial sample from Obama's speech, the author is fully primed to state her thesis introducing her FAMILY Act to "implement Paid Family ＆ Medical Leave for every worker." Paragraph five has Obama asserting, "It's time we do away with workplace policies that belong in a ‘Mad Men' episode." The author interprets the quote to mean "equal pay, affordable childcare, and time to pass the FAMILY Act to provide paid leave for every worker." In comparison to the structure of paragraph two, her interpretation of the quotes are consistent and there is enough evidence and similarity from quotation to interpretation to persuade the reader.
Facts and statistics in the essay are the most commonly used form of evidence for the benefits of the FAMILY Act. "Three months of paid leave at 66% of one's income for the minimal contribution — by employee and employer — of, on average less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week." The author is then quick to add "it will not add to the nations debt." As "paid leave is facing opposition," the author cites another statistic stating 84% of FMLA businesses reported no costs or actual cost savings as a result of family or medical leave policies. In that year, 88% of Americans who knew FMLA supported it. In stark contrast with the previous modes of rhetoric, the author utilizes concrete percentages to add to her claims. The reader is quick to note the low costs at "less than a cup of coffee per week" and the relatively low percentage of complaints filed against FMLA businesses. Also, since 88% of Americans supported FMLA, a rather large majority, the reader might deduce that the sole reason for the lack of support could be the unawareness of the American public on such a proposal.
The author finally leaves the reader hoping that the American public can "relegate the choice between earning a paycheck and caring for a loved one to the dustbin of history."
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