Michelle Obama: My College Story Can Be Yours

1. Part A: Which two statements best describe how the author uses phrases like “have to,” “need to,” and “my hope” to advance her purpose? (R.2.3)

• 1. A. To challenge adults to support young people in their pursuit of education.

• 1. B. To emphasize her message to young people to take charge of their education.

• 1. C. To challenge the traditional education system's focus on standardized testing and grades.

• 1. D. To entertain the audience with her personal anecdotes of her experience with education.

2. Part B: Which two sentences provide additional support for the answer chosen in Part A? (R.2.3)

• 1. A. "That means going to class every day, setting their goals high, and working like crazy to achieve them." (Paragraph 3)

• 1. B. “They even have pre-kindergarten kids create college-themed art projects, because it's never too early to start talking about higher education.” (Paragraph 10)

• 1. C. “So we've got to make the sacrifices and investments that will inspire every child to reach higher and give them an opportunity to fulfill their boundless potential.” (Paragraph 11)

• 1. D. "That's simply not acceptable, and that's why my husband set his ‘North Star’ goal: that by the year 2020, we will once again have the highest college graduation rate in the world." (Paragraph 7)

3. Read excerpt from Paragraph 11:

“There are young people just like Rocio in every community in this country. Young people with so much promise and so many skills like grit and resilience that will carry them to success. All they need is a little extra support from folks like us. So we've got to make the sacrifices and investments that will inspire every child to reach higher and give them an opportunity to fulfill their boundless potential." (Paragraph 11)

How does the speaker's use of words such as “promise”, “sacrifices”, and  “opportunity” achieve her purpose in this paragraph? (R.2.3)

• 1. A. To make the excerpt more interesting and engaging for the reader.

• 1. B. To portray young people as helpless and in need of constant adult support.

• C. To boast about her own achievements and encourage young people to follow in her footsteps.

• 1. D. To create a sense of responsibility to motivate adults to invest in young people’s education.

3. Select the detail that provides evidence to support the speaker's argument that Americans need to work toward a common goal of increasing the number of young people who graduate with college degrees. (R.2.4)

• 1. A. “They even have pre-kindergarten kids create college-themed art projects, because it's never too early to start talking about higher education.” (Paragraph 10)

• 1. B. “I've heard about their hopes of going to college, getting good jobs, and one day starting families of their own.” (paragraph 1)

• 1. C. “A generation ago, America had the highest percentage of college graduates in the world. But today, we've dropped all the way to 12th in terms of young adults.” (paragraph 7)

• 1. D. “So Rocio rose from English-as-a-second-language classes all the way to Advanced Placement classes-and next fall, she is heading off to the University of Texas at San Antonio to pursue her degree.” (paragraph 10)

7. How does the author use text structure in paragraph 7 to convey that America can become the leader of college graduates again? (R.2.1)

• 1. A. The chronological structure shows the progression of American college graduation rates over time.

• 1. B. The cause and effect structure shows the many positive results of the policies being used to improve young peoples’ lives.

• 1. C. The problem and solution structure shows how the issues that cause college graduation to decline have been solved.

• 1. D. The compare and contrast structure shows how America has historically compared to other countries and the differences in educational expectations.

4. What rhetorical strategy does the speaker employ to emphasize the importance of higher education? (R.2.5)

• 1. A. Using a personal anecdote to illustrate the transformative power of education.

• 1. B. Presenting statistical data to provide a logical foundation for the argument.

• 1. C. Employing a series of rhetorical questions to engage the audience's curiosity and reflection.

• 1. D. Comparing past and present scenarios to highlight the changes in educational attainment.

9. How does the speaker use the story of a student overcoming adversity to argue for the importance of supporting all students? (R.2.5)

• 1. A. By highlighting the student's unique talents and how they were recognized and nurtured by teachers.

• 1. B. By showing how financial aid can remove barriers to higher education for talented students.

• 1. C. By using the student's success story as evidence that with support, all students can overcome obstacles.

• 1. D. By comparing the student's achievements to those of students who did not receive similar support.

10. In what way does the speaker suggest that community involvement is crucial to improving college graduation rates? (R.2.1)

• 1. A. By stating that community volunteers have a direct impact on students' academic success.

• 1. B. By arguing that local businesses should offer internships to give students real-world experience.

• 1. C. By emphasizing the role of community centers in providing after-school tutoring and college prep classes.

• 1. D. By suggesting that parents and community members mentor students to guide them towards higher education.