Exam 13: Persuasion

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) The federal minimum wage should be increased to at least $15.00 per hour. (2) First of all, this increase will help families who are living in poverty. (3) Not only will it provide these people with a fairer and more decent rate of pay for their labor, but it will also decrease their need for welfare, food stamps, and other forms of government support. (4) Increasing the minimum wage may also stimulate job growth. (5) According to one study published by the Fiscal Policy Institute, employment in small businesses grew faster in states that boosted their minimum wage above the federal minimum than in states requiring only the federal minimum. (6) This report also found that total job growth was faster in the states with higher minimum wages. (7) That may be because workers who earn more can spend more, which stimulates the economy. How many arguments support the topic sentence?

Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince parents that their children should do household chores, you could say that

Each of the following sentences tells what you are trying to persuade someone to do. Beneath each sentence are four reasons that attempt to convince the reader that he or she should take this particular course of action. Select the reason that seems irrelevant, illogical, or untrue. If you wanted to convince someone that your town or city is a great place to live, you could say that

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) Amateur stargazing is an interesting and rewarding hobby. (2) Exploring astronomy builds knowledge about our amazing universe. (3) It's an inexpensive pastime, too. (4) All that's needed is a telescope, a book about how to understand what you're looking at, and maybe a membership in an astronomical club. (5) Studying the night sky is free! (6) That's why astronomy is also a great family activity. (7) In fact, looking at the heavens may awaken a love of science in children. (8) Plus, those who star-gaze long enough might even make an important discovery. (9) After all, many amateur astronomers have discovered comets, asteroids, and other heavenly bodies. (10) In 2005, for example, two amateur sky-watchers in New Zealand discovered a new planet 15,000 miles from Earth using only a backyard telescope. Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.