Rhetorical Analysis: Laila Lalami's Why Vote?

Who is the intended audience of Laila Lalami's passage "Why Vote?"?

• Political analysts and researchers

• Eligible voters in the United States

• International observers of U.S. elections

• High school students learning about democracy

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

What purpose is Laila Lalami trying to achieve in her writing "Why Vote?"?

• To entertain readers with anecdotes about voting

• To inform readers about the history of voting rights

• To persuade readers to participate in the electoral process

• To criticize the current political system

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

How does the writer's use of predominantly long-length sentences in the first paragraph create a sense of urgency?

• By overwhelming the reader with information

• By providing detailed historical context

• By emphasizing the complexity of voting issues

• By simplifying the voting process

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CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

How does the writer's structure of the third paragraph, which discusses the history of voting rights, help her achieve her purpose?

• It provides a chronological narrative that highlights progress

• It uses a cause-and-effect structure to show consequences

• It presents a problem-solution format to suggest improvements

• It uses a compare-and-contrast method to show differences

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Which of the following sentences is the best example of a call to action that the author uses to achieve her purpose of encouraging voting?

• "There are millions of would-be voters who face obstacles of all kinds."

• "Voting is our duty in the social contract, a way to steer the republic in a direction that accurately reflects the will of all its citizens."

• "Apathy isn’t going to resolve the crisis we face."

• "Despair won’t fix this mess; only action will."

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

What is the effect of the writer's use of short sentences in the final paragraph?

• It creates a sense of finality and resolution

• It emphasizes the complexity of the issues discussed

• It highlights the urgency and importance of the message

• It provides a detailed explanation of the voting process

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CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

In the passage, how does Lalami use historical references to strengthen her argument?

• By showing how past struggles relate to current voting issues

• By providing a detailed timeline of voting rights

• By comparing voting rights in different countries

• By listing famous historical figures who voted

Which sentence structure does Lalami use to emphasize the collective responsibility of voting?

• Simple sentences

• Compound sentences

• Complex sentences

• Compound-complex sentences

How does Lalami's use of rhetorical questions in the passage contribute to her persuasive purpose?

• By providing answers to common voting myths

• By engaging the reader to think critically about voting

• By listing reasons why people don't vote

• By summarizing the main points of the passage

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CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RI. 9-10.8

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.11-12.8

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

What role does punctuation play in the passage to convey the author's urgency?

• Frequent use of exclamation marks

• Use of ellipses to create suspense

• Strategic use of commas to build momentum

• Use of semicolons to connect related ideas

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CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.2.6