Characteristics of Argument
The environment is something we all should care about. That is why I am asking for your help in requesting that all food and drink sellers in our city switch from plastic straws to paper ones. People in the United States use more than 390 million plastic straws every day. Many are tossed away carelessly. Then, they are carried by wind or water run off into streams, rivers, lakes, and, finally, oceans. Fish, waterfowl, and sea animals eat and are poisoned by the plastic straws. Once the straws break down into tiny bits, they are consumed by small creatures that, in turn, are eaten by the fish that humans eat. That can’t be good. Many people say that paper straws end up in the ocean, too. This is true, but paper straws start to break down in just three days. And, unlike plastic, paper is not poisonous. Please join me in pushing for a change from plastic straws to paper ones.
Which of these best expresses the author’s main claim?
a. The environment is something everyone should care about.
b. We should switch from plastic straws to paper straws.
b. We should switch from plastic straws to paper straws.
Which of the following is a rhetorical question?
a. What time is it?
b. Isn't it wrong to litter?
b. Isn't it wrong to litter?
My hands reach into the barrels a hundred times a day,
So it’s no wonder they stink of my trade—
Vinegar, garlic, pepper—I’m the pickle man!
Dill, sweet, gherkins, bread and butter!
Look at these lovelies—try one, crisp and sharp!
After closing the market, I go home and kiss the wife,
Who nudges me away with a wrinkled nose.
So, I soak my hands in lemon and vanilla,
And try again. Then I get a smile and a hug,
And a tasty dinner—with pickles on the side!
Who is the speaker in this poem?
Who is the speaker in this poem?
Fair field, you once were bare and open to the sky.
Fair field, where sunshine could not cast a shadow.
Fair field. Now gone.
Replaced by commerce, a building causes me to sigh.
Space for sale where once there was a free meadow.
What repeated phrase does the poet use in lines 1–3? (Earn double points by also naming what form of figurative language this is)
Fair field
(double points: anaphora)
Hear the sledges with the bells—
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars, that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
List the rhyming words at the ends of lines.
bells/bells/foretells; tinkle/oversprinkle/twinkle; night/delight
The environment is something we all should care about. That is why I am asking for your help in requesting that all food and drink sellers in our city switch from plastic straws to paper ones. People in the United States use more than 390 million plastic straws every day. Many are tossed away carelessly. Then, they are carried by wind or water run off into streams, rivers, lakes, and, finally, oceans. Fish, waterfowl, and sea animals eat and are poisoned by the plastic straws. Once the straws break down into tiny bits, they are consumed by small creatures that, in turn, are eaten by the fish that humans eat. That can’t be good. Many people say that paper straws end up in the ocean, too. This is true, but paper straws start to break down in just three days. And, unlike plastic, paper is not poisonous. Please join me in pushing for a change from plastic straws to paper ones.
Who is the writer’s audience for this argument?
a. food and drink sellers in the city
b. like-minded citizens in the city
b. like-minded citizens in the city
Which of the following includes synecdoche?
a. Jake just bought a new set of wheels.
b. Lisa bought a beautiful dress for prom.
a. Jake just bought a new set of wheels.
My hands reach into the barrels a hundred times a day,
So it’s no wonder they stink of my trade—
Vinegar, garlic, pepper—I’m the pickle man!
Dill, sweet, gherkins, bread and butter!
Look at these lovelies—try one, crisp and sharp!
After closing the market, I go home and kiss the wife,
Who nudges me away with a wrinkled nose.
So, I soak my hands in lemon and vanilla,
And try again. Then I get a smile and a hug,
And a tasty dinner—with pickles on the side!
What is the tone of the first stanza?
Casual or like a seller at a marking yelling or sing out to their buyers
Fair field, you once were bare and open to the sky.
Fair field, where sunshine could not cast a shadow.
Fair field. Now gone.
Replaced by commerce, a building causes me to sigh.
Space for sale where once there was a free meadow.
Why does the poet most likely use the repeated phrase you identified in question 1?
a. to show the relationship between the speaker and the field and to increase emotion
b. to emphasize that the speaker visited the field three times
a. to show the relationship between the speaker and the field and to increase emotion
Hear the sledges with the bells—
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars, that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
What is the poem’s rhyme scheme?
aaabcbbc
The environment is something we all should care about. That is why I am asking for your help in requesting that all food and drink sellers in our city switch from plastic straws to paper ones. People in the United States use more than 390 million plastic straws every day. Many are tossed away carelessly. Then, they are carried by wind or water run off into streams, rivers, lakes, and, finally, oceans. Fish, waterfowl, and sea animals eat and are poisoned by the plastic straws. Once the straws break down into tiny bits, they are consumed by small creatures that, in turn, are eaten by the fish that humans eat. That can’t be good. Many people say that paper straws end up in the ocean, too. This is true, but paper straws start to break down in just three days. And, unlike plastic, paper is not poisonous. Please join me in pushing for a change from plastic straws to paper ones.
What counterclaim does the writer address?
a. Paper straws end up in the ocean, too.
b. Paper straws start to break down in just three days.
a. Paper straws end up in the ocean, too.
Which of the following includes asyndeton?
a. We came, we saw, we conquered.
b. The fair will have corn dogs, popcorn, and boiled peanuts.
a. We came, we saw, we conquered.
My hands reach into the barrels a hundred times a day,
So it’s no wonder they stink of my trade—
Vinegar, garlic, pepper—I’m the pickle man!
Dill, sweet, gherkins, bread and butter!
Look at these lovelies—try one, crisp and sharp!
After closing the market, I go home and kiss the wife,
Who nudges me away with a wrinkled nose.
So, I soak my hands in lemon and vanilla,
And try again. Then I get a smile and a hug,
And a tasty dinner—with pickles on the side!
How does the poet’s word choice contribute to the speaker’s voice?
a. Serious, formal diction gives the speaker a sophisticated voice.
b. Slangy, informal diction gives the speaker a friendly, down-to-earth voice.
b. Slangy, informal diction gives the speaker a friendly, down-to-earth voice.
Fair field, you once were bare and open to the sky.
Fair field, where sunshine could not cast a shadow.
Fair field. Now gone.
Replaced by commerce, a building causes me to sigh.
Space for sale where once there was a free meadow.
Look at line 3. Why does the author most likely use a short line here?
a. to keep the reader from settling into a regular rhythm and ignoring the poem’s meaning
b. to signal a transition and contrast between the old scene and the new one
b. to signal a transition and contrast between the old scene and the new one
Hear the sledges with the bells—
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars, that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Which words in line 3 are an example of assonance?
merriment, melody, foretells
The environment is something we all should care about. That is why I am asking for your help in requesting that all food and drink sellers in our city switch from plastic straws to paper ones. People in the United States use more than 390 million plastic straws every day. Many are tossed away carelessly. Then, they are carried by wind or water run off into streams, rivers, lakes, and, finally, oceans. Fish, waterfowl, and sea animals eat and are poisoned by the plastic straws. Once the straws break down into tiny bits, they are consumed by small creatures that, in turn, are eaten by the fish that humans eat. That can’t be good. Many people say that paper straws end up in the ocean, too. This is true, but paper straws start to break down in just three days. And, unlike plastic, paper is not poisonous. Please join me in pushing for a change from plastic straws to paper ones.
What is the author’s purpose in writing this argument?
a. to change the mind of the audience about an issue
b. to motivate the audience to take a specific action
b. to motivate the audience to take a specific action
Is the following an example of a
rhetorical question (R)
synecdoche (S) or
asyndeton (A)
The spokesperson said that the White House was not going to make their new plan public until the fall.
synecdoche (S)
My hands reach into the barrels a hundred times a day,
So it’s no wonder they stink of my trade—
Vinegar, garlic, pepper—I’m the pickle man!
Dill, sweet, gherkins, bread and butter!
Look at these lovelies—try one, crisp and sharp!
After closing the market, I go home and kiss the wife,
Who nudges me away with a wrinkled nose.
So, I soak my hands in lemon and vanilla,
And try again. Then I get a smile and a hug,
And a tasty dinner—with pickles on the side!
Which are examples of diction from the poem that help establish the speaker’s voice.
a. stink
b. I'm the pickle man
c. lovelies
d. kiss the wife
e. all of the above
e. all of the above
Fair field, you once were bare and open to the sky.
Fair field, where sunshine could not cast a shadow.
Fair field. Now gone.
Replaced by commerce, a building causes me to sigh.
Space for sale where once there was a free meadow.
Which of the following best describes the overall mood of the passage?
a. peaceful
b. mysterious
c. sad
d. playful
c. sad
Hear the sledges with the bells—
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars, that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Identify an example of consonance in line 3.
world, merriment, their, foretells
The environment is something we all should care about. That is why I am asking for your help in requesting that all food and drink sellers in our city switch from plastic straws to paper ones. People in the United States use more than 390 million plastic straws every day. Many are tossed away carelessly. Then, they are carried by wind or water run off into streams, rivers, lakes, and, finally, oceans. Fish, waterfowl, and sea animals eat and are poisoned by the plastic straws. Once the straws break down into tiny bits, they are consumed by small creatures that, in turn, are eaten by the fish that humans eat. That can’t be good. Many people say that paper straws end up in the ocean, too. This is true, but paper straws start to break down in just three days. And, unlike plastic, paper is not poisonous. Please join me in pushing for a change from plastic straws to paper ones.
When the author write, "People in the United States use more than 390 million plastic straws every day" what part of the argument writing is being used:
a. claim + reason
b. evidence
c. counterlcaim
d. all of the above
b. evidence
(3) Our town has faced some tough times with recent storms and litter issues, but when we get a significant head count helping us, we can make a difference. (4) I’ve been right here with you, standing among you, organizing teams, planning clean-up drives. (5) When last winter’s storm damaged many homes, I arranged for volunteers and supplies to assist everyone affected and bring the properties back to safety.
What effect does the asyndeton in sentence 4 have?
a. It creates a sense of urgency and involvement.
b. It suggests ongoing and future plans.
c. It emphasizes the speaker’s fears.
a. It creates a sense of urgency and involvement.
My hands reach into the barrels a hundred times a day,
So it’s no wonder they stink of my trade—
Vinegar, garlic, pepper—I’m the pickle man!
Dill, sweet, gherkins, bread and butter!
Look at these lovelies—try one, crisp and sharp!
After closing the market, I go home and kiss the wife,
Who nudges me away with a wrinkled nose.
So, I soak my hands in lemon and vanilla,
And try again. Then I get a smile and a hug,
And a tasty dinner—with pickles on the side!
What is the primary tone of the second stanza of the poem?
a. Melancholic and resentful
b. Lighthearted and affectionate
c. Formal and detached
b. Lighthearted and affectionate
Leave behind the jumble, glass, and steel of Tokyo.
The high-speed train will make its single stop
At a station nestled in snow banks near the inn.
Let me hear once more the sad song of the stringed instrument.
Let me smell the mountain air that brings back memories.
Let me see the pines and know their whisper even through the window.
Which of the following best describes the mood of the passage?
a. sad
b. dreamy
c. energetic
d. bitter
b. dreamy
Hear the sledges with the bells—
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars, that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Which words in line 3 are an example of alliteration?
merriment/melody