Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
Persuasion and Propaganda
Why We Should Support Real Music
by T.C. Henderson
The music industry of today is very fickle. Everyone seems to be caught up in finding
the "next big thing." Performers want the most popular rapper or "singer" on their songs
without caring whether this person is actually talented. Very few music acts, or
"professional celebrities" as I call them, are true artists. As such, even fewer of them
have lasting careers.
The goal of a true artist should always be to create a lasting work. Legendary artists
are celebrated for their ability to sing, write, or perform timeless songs. Is there anyone
in the current industry whom we will still remember 10 or 20 years from now? Or even
think about two years from now, for that matter? Songs like Marvin Gaye's "What's
Going On?" or Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" were written decades ago.
Yet they are still important when tragedies occur or in political circles.
I believe the time has come for us to return to recognizing true talent. Consumers
should stop buying into "packaged" singers. By that, I mean we should stop supporting
people who have no talent just because they are attractive or well-dressed. A catchy
song does not always uplift the world. I say listen to the words and not just the beat.
Good music can change your whole world view and expand your mind.
1. How does the author share her opinion in this article?
A.
B.
C.
D.
by
by
by
by
comparing today's music to legendary songs and artists
providing examples of today's musical acts with no talent
showing the reader how celebrity influences music sales
comparing today's music to the music that influenced it
Write your response here:
(show your work)
2.
from "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and
the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an
oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not
be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/38.htm
How does the author of the speech keep the audience's attention and build
energy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
He
He
He
He
repeats a phrase several times.
talks about his children.
uses the names of real states.
gets angry at the government.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
3.
I believe that making teenagers wait until they are 18 to receive an actual license
is a dumb idea. I feel that if we take a two-month long Driver's Education class and pass
it, then we should be able to get a license.
My Driver's Ed teacher taught me all the rules of the road. My class also studied the
driver's handbook inside and out. So why, then, am I forced to continue to ask for rides
everywhere? And when I finally get a chance to drive, why must I have a driver over the
age of 21 in the car with me at all times?
People say that drivers under the age of 18 are not responsible. I know many drivers
who are over 30 and have still been in accidents. Even my mother admitted that I am a
better driver than most people she knows.
How does the author of this essay hurt his or her argument?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The
The
The
The
author
author
author
author
never presents the opponent's argument.
doesn't stay focused on the topic of driver's licenses.
doesn't pose a question in the paper.
uses the word "dumb" and doesn't include any facts.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
4.
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
Why be a puppet on strings?
Lose those strings.
JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!
What do the strings in the advertisement symbolize?
A.
B.
C.
D.
puppets in a puppet show
the influence of other people
money used to help people
nice people that you know
Write your response here:
(show your work)
San Francisco Chronicle
Monday, April 6, 1998
'Sink or Swim' Prop 227 hurts kids
By Lucy Tse
"I stared at the teacher as she moved about the room. She talked and wrote on the
chalkboard, and the other students answered her questions, laughed at her comments,
and talked among themselves. I sat and watched. That's all I could do. Nothing made
sense. That night, I told my mother that I felt deaf in a hearing world."
In the days before bilingual education, every child placed into an all-English
classroom had experiences such as this. Left to "sink-or-swim," some students survived
and graduated high school while many others dropped out.
This is the situation California schools will regress to if Proposition 227 passes in the
June election. Practically overnight, nearly 1.4 million students not yet fluent in English
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
will be given 180 days to learn the language.
Twelve-year-olds will be placed in the same classroom as 8-year-olds, and each will
have to get what they can in those precious few days. Regardless of their readiness,
these same students will then be placed into English-only classrooms with no help and
no support. It doesn't take a vivid imagination to foresee the fate of these students.
Many will do what their predecessors did a half century ago: Drown.
Why abandon a method which gives students help in their native language while
they learn English? We shouldn't. Despite popular perception, in study after study,
researchers have found that bilingual education students in good programs learn
English rapidly and get a better education than those who get no help in the home
language. In fact, these programs keep students in schools and provide them with the
background needed to go to college or to get a job.
Of the 1.4 million limited-English students in California, only about 30 percent are in
bilingual education programs. It is not difficult to find evidence of these programs'
effectiveness. Across the state, students in good bilingual education programs outscore
their counterparts on the state's own Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills in both math
and reading, a test given in English. Beyond test scores, studies also show that
students in bilingual education programs have higher self confidence and better
attitudes toward school.
Leaving students to fend for themselves is irresponsible policy. If we want students
to learn English quickly then we should stick with a program that has proven effective:
bilingual education.
Lucy Tse is an assistant professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
5. The purpose of Proposition 227 is
A.
B.
C.
D.
to
to
to
to
eliminate bilingual education programs.
teach children to swim.
improve test scores.
hurt kids.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
6. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
A.
B.
C.
D.
to
to
to
to
show a bilingual education classroom
describe a classroom that has both 8 and 12-year-olds
entertain the reader with a story about her childhood
gain the reader's sympathy for limited-English students
Write your response here:
(show your work)
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
7. What does Tse mean by "sink or swim?"
A. Proposition 227 will help kids by teaching them to read in English.
B. Students who know English will succeed in school; students who don't
know English will fail or drop out.
C. Proposition 227 will hurt kids by not teaching them to swim.
D. The students who learn to swim will live; the students who do not
learn to swim will not.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
Proposition B is flawed
by Larry Rohrbach
No one would disagree with the fact that Missouri's roads could be improved. Where
Missourians differ is how to do that. The first solution in the minds of the government is
"spend more money." Proposition B would increase taxes by half billion a year, the
biggest tax increase in Missouri history. The problem with throwing money at our road
problems is that we've done that before. Just 10 years ago I supported a six-cent fuel
tax increase, and we're worse off now than we were then. We spend more money, and
the roads and bridges continue to get worse.
Proposition B is more than just a way to fund the roads. It is a dramatic change in tax
policy. About two-thirds of the tax dollars generated by Proposition B will come directly
from the pockets of Missourians who may or may not even drive. The tax dollars will
come mostly from poorer Missourians and the money they spend on things like clothes,
shoes, appliances, etc. Proposition B is not just about funding highways, its about what
kind of tax policy we want in Missouri.
Our biggest problem is not money; it's accountability. Spending lots more money
right now on Missouri's highways is putting the cart before the horse. The Missouri
Department of Transportation has spent a lot of time telling us what needs to be fixed
and how much it's going to cost to do it. The problem is, we've heard it before. The list
of things that need to be fixed is the same as the list from 10 years ago. Haven't we
been feeding our tax dollars into these programs the entire time? They've spent money
on new buildings all over the state. They fly commissioners to commission meetings in
department-owned airplanes. It seems they have money for everything except the road
improvements promised.
To top it all off, the director of Transportation states that this huge tax increase is a
good start but is only half what's needed to do the job. Let's get our transportation
house in order first, and then let's talk money.
Proposition B throws money at a problem, but most of the money comes from folks
who don't cause the problem. We can do better, but only if we say NO to Proposition B
on August 6.
www.joplinglobe.com
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
8. If passed, what would Proposition B do?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Raise taxes in order to improve Missouri roads
Improve Missouri roads without raising taxes
Allow poorer Missourians to buy better clothes, shoes, and appliances
Raise money for new buildings all over the state
Write your response here:
(show your work)
9. What is Rohrbach's MAIN argument against Proposition B?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Proposition B doesn't raise enough money to repair the roads.
The roads are in good condition and don't need to be repaired.
Most Missourians are too poor to pay for the tax increase.
The money raised by Proposition B will unlikely go to improving the
roads.
Write your response here:
(show your work)
10. In the first paragraph, Rohrbach writes: "Just 10 years ago I supported
a six-cent fuel tax increase, and we're worse off now than we were then."
What was Rohrbach's purpose in adding this sentence?
A. To show that tax increases don't always improve what the government
says it will improve
B. To demonstrate that some tax increases are good for Missouri
C. To prove that he has lived in Missouri for over ten years
D. To encourage Missourians to buy less gas
Write your response here:
(show your work)
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
Answers
1. A
2. A
3. D
4. B
5. A
6. D
7. B
8. A
9. D
10. A
Explanations
1. In the second paragraph of the passage, the author compares the music
of today with artists that she considers "legendary," like Marvin Gaye and
Stevie Wonder.
2. By repeating the line "I have a dream" the author builds energy with each
dream he describes. Repeating a line several times gives the speech a
rhythm that keeps the audience interested. It shows that he has a dream for
a better world, and he wants the audience to remember it.
3. Even when you're disagreeing with your opponent, you must be respectful
of his or her point of view. When you use negative adjectives like "stupid"
and "dumb," you show disrespect to your opponent and weaken your own
argument. It is always good to include facts and statistics to prove your
argument.
4. The advertisement talks about the viewer getting rid of any strings tied to
him or her. This is not a literal set of strings. In this ad, the strings
symbolize the peer pressure the viewer may feel from others who are trying
to push drugs on him or her. The ad is encouraging the viewer to not give in
to the peer pressure associated with drug usage.
5. We know that this author is against Proposition 227 because the title of
the article says that Proposition 227 "hurts kids." The final sentence of the
article reads: If we want students to learn English quickly then we should
stick with a program that has proven effective: bilingual education. If the
author is FOR bilingual education, but AGAINST Proposition 227, we can
figure out that Proposition 227 must eliminate bilingual education.
Skill and Form Number: Persuasion and Propaganda #1
6. Many people add personal stories to editorial pieces as a way of stirring
the reader's emotions. She paints a picture of a sad little girl who can't
understand English. If we feel sorry for the girl, we are more likely to
support bilingual education programs.
7. The passage states: "Left to 'sink-or-swim,' some students survived and
graduated high school while many others dropped out." From these context
clues, you can guess that "sink-or-swim" means to succeed (graduate) or to
fail (drop out).
8. The first sentence of the editorial discusses the condition of Missouri's
roads. A few sentences later, Rohrbach writes: Proposition B would increase
taxes by half billion a year, the biggest tax increase in Missouri history.
9. The author begins the third paragraph with the statement: Our biggest
problem is not money; it's accountability. Even though he does make the
point that the tax increase will greatly affect impoverished Missourians, he
says that the "biggest problem" with Proposition B is the wrongful spending
of the money.
10. By bringing up a previous tax increase and its failure to get the job
done, the writer shows that the Proposition B tax increase probably won't
work either.
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