1.09 Influencing Readers And Persuading Audiences

2 September 2022
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question
Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text. Read this excerpt from "A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.: I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. Which statement best describes the connotative meaning of the word rabid? It has a positive connotation, suggesting a level of grudging respect. It has a negative connotation, suggesting a severe lack of intelligence. It has a positive connotation, suggesting a genuine depth of feeling. It has a negative connotation, suggesting a dangerous fanaticism.
answer
It has a negative connotation, suggesting a dangerous fanaticism.
question
Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text. Read this sentence from "A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.: Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. Which statement best explains how the word cognizant impacts the tone of the speech? It helps create an impartial, yet intellectual tone. It helps create a sympathetic, yet biased tone. It helps create a concerned, yet optimistic tone. It helps create a casual, yet serious tone.
answer
It helps create an impartial, yet intellectual tone.
Explanation: The word cognizant helps create an impartial, yet intellectual tone in the speech.
question
Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text. Read this excerpt from "A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.: You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. How does King's use of rhetoric best advance his viewpoint? It creates an overwhelming tone for the reader to consider King's points. It provides a sense of confusion for the reader and makes his viewpoint obscure. It forces the reader to think about why King is recommending action over negotiation. It causes the reader to consider alternate viewpoints to King's.
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It forces the reader to think about why King is recommending action over negotiation.
Explanation: It uses strong language to make King's viewpoint more powerful.
question
Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text. Based on what he writes in "Letter from Birmingham Jail," how has living as an African American man in a segregated society affected Martin Luther King Jr.'s viewpoint? It has proven to him that change cannot be forced upon society by those who are unhappy or oppressed. It has led him to believe that African Americans must actively seek to end racial injustice and oppression. It has helped him see that the only path to justice and equality is through violent resistance and revolution. It has taught him that all white people are selfish and untrustworthy.
answer
It has led him to believe that African Americans must actively seek to end racial injustice and oppression.
Explanation: It has proven to him that change cannot be forced upon society by those who are unhappy or oppressed. It has led him to believe that African Americans must actively seek to end racial injustice and oppression.
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Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text. King quotes a 72-year-old woman who participated in the bus boycott as saying, "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." Why does King include this quote? Select each correct answer. It illustrates how people in Montgomery had a different attitude from people in Birmingham. It establishes that African Americans are willing to suffer to achieve their rights. It demonstrates that King is smarter than she is because she uses incorrect grammar. It shows that ordinary African Americans were glad to participate in the movement.
answer
It establishes that African Americans are willing to suffer to achieve their rights. It shows that ordinary African Americans were glad to participate in the movement.
Explanation: King includes this quote to show that the people of Montgomery were willing to suffer in order to achieve their rights. The woman's use of incorrect grammar is also significant because it shows that even the most ordinary African Americans were willing to participate in the movement.
question
Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the text. Throughout "Letter from Birmingham Jail," King returns to the idea of tension as a necessary and positive component of the civil rights movement. How does King develop this theme? Select each correct answer. King argues that protestors do not cause tension; they merely expose tensions that already existed. King insists that protestors are not the source of the tension; inherently racist attitudes and reactions are. King claims, with some notable exceptions, most protests face no tension, violence, or problems with law enforcement. King claims that tension can be a beneficial, creative force for change and improvement in society.
answer
King argues that protestors do not cause tension; they merely expose tensions that already existed. King claims that tension can be a beneficial, creative force for change and improvement in society.