Obama "Farewell Address" Quiz

1. How does the author develop the central ideas of “The power is in the people to create lasting change” and of “We have created a lot of change, but more work is still to be done” similarly? (R.2.2)

• The speaker uses anecdotes to showcase how people have driven change, with a call to action of the need to continue to make positive change.

• The speaker focuses on specific achievements during his presidency, while downplaying the continued struggles faced by many Americans.

• The speaker discusses individual achievements with large-scale social issues, illustrating the limitations of personal change without collective action.

• The author appeals to the emotions of his audience, and uses patriotic rhetoric to motivate action without providing concrete suggestions for change.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

1. What does the word embrace mean as it is used in this line from paragraph 20? (V.1.3)

“You know that constant change has been America’s hallmark, something not to fear but to embrace, and you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward.” (Paragraph 20)

• To hug

• To include

• To welcome

• To surround

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

1. How does the author's use of parallel sentence structure impact the purpose of paragraph 18? (R.2.3)

2. “Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and talk to lawmakers. If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, get out there and run for office yourself. ” (Paragraph 18)

• It creates a sense of urgency and emphasizes the need for continued change for the American people to have a successful future.

• It emphasizes the speaker’s personal opinions and criticisms of citizens who only engage during elections or for personal gain.

• It promotes the idea that online arguments are unproductive compared to real-life solutions, and you cannot create change through the internet.

• It illustrates that individual action cannot possibly be enough to enact change, by presenting various options that are time consuming and overwhelming.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

1. Read this excerpt from paragraph #4:

“This is the great gift our Founders gave us, the freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat, toil and imagination — and the drive to work together as well, to achieve a greater good.” (Paragraph 4)How does the speaker's use of words such as “sweat”, “toil”, and “imagination” achieve their purpose in this paragraph? (R.2.3)

• They glorify individual achievement and success, downplaying the significance of cooperation and social responsibility.

• They appeal to the emotions of the audience, evoking a response without impacting the meaning or purpose of the paragraph.

• They criticize individual pursuits, suggesting that only working as a group to do good matters and that personal dreams should be sacrificed.

• They emphasize the hard work needed to pursue individual dreams, while highlighting the importance of collective action for achieving a greater good.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

1. Select which sentence from the text provides the best evidence that Obama believes that through working together, we can continue to make positive change in America for a better future? (R.2.4)

• “Over the last eight years, our country reversed a great economic crash and recession, rebooted our car industry and created more jobs for a longer period of time than ever before. (Paragraph 5)

• “The future should be ours, but that future will be realized only if our democracy works, only if all of us, regardless of which party we prefer, help restore our country's sense of common purpose.” (Paragraph 7)

• “It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous keepers of our democracy, because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen.” (Paragraph 17)

• “You know that constant change has been America’s hallmark, something not to fear but to embrace, and you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward.” (Paragraph 20)

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

1. Read paragraph #5:

“Over the last eight years, our country reversed a great economic crash and recession, rebooted our car industry and created more jobs for a longer period of time than ever before. We shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot and we took out the man who planned 9/11. We secured the right to health insurance for 20 million of our fellow citizens. If I had told you we would do all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high.” (Paragraph 5)How does the speaker use reasoning to develop his argument in this paragraph? (2.4)

• The speaker uses emotional appeals, listing achievements without any clear logical reasoning to support them.

• The speaker uses deductive reasoning, applying general principles about effective leadership to prove positive outcomes during his term. 

• The speaker uses inductive reasoning, drawing a conclusion about national progress based on specific accomplishments achieved during his presidency.

• The speaker uses abductive reasoning, drawing a conclusion about continued national progress based on the personal reflections of success during his presidency

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

1. Select the word from Paragraph 12  that comes from a Latin root meaning “to ask” or “to request”.  (V.1.2)

“I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s, still searching for a purpose to my life. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss. This is where I learned that change happens only when ordinary people get involved, get engaged and come together to demand it.” (Paragraph 2)

• Purpose

• Dignity

• Engaged

• Demand

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

1. Read paragraph #18:

“Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and talk to lawmakers. If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, get out there and run for office yourself.” (Paragraph 18) Which logical fallacy does the author make in this paragraph? (R.2.4)

• The speaker employs the strawman fallacy to suggest an oversimplification of a set of actions that people can take to enact change.

• The speaker employs the ad populum fallacy to suggest a course of actions that people can jump on the bandwagon to enact change.

• The speaker employs the non-sequitur fallacy to conclude his argument with suggestions of a course of action that people can take to enact change.

• The speaker employs the false analogy fallacy that incorrectly connects the different cause and effects of actions that people can take to enact change. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.8

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

1. How does Obama address the topic of unity differently than Eisenhower? (R.3.3)

• Obama sees diversity as a challenge to overcome for unity, while Eisenhower views it as a necessity for a strong international partnership.

• Obama emphasizes building unity through individual action, while Eisenhower focuses on maintaining balance of power and peace through a unified society.

• Obama promotes unity through shared national pride and history, while Eisenhower emphasizes mutual respect and understanding as the foundation for unity.

• Obama stresses the importance of overcoming differences through compromise, while Eisenhower focuses on maintaining individual liberties even when facing external threats.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

1. How does Obama address the topic of unity similarly to Eisenhower? (R.3.3)

• Both texts view overcoming differences as requiring compromise and sacrifice from all citizens.

• Both texts express optimism about the future of unity despite acknowledging current challenges.

• Both texts emphasize the importance of a strong military as a unifying force, to maintain America’s success as a nation.

• Both texts acknowledge the historical importance of individual sacrifices and contributions to building and maintaining unity.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7