Many books have been written about the 1950s, an important decade in American history. The author himself describes the decade as a time when his “values were shaped” and when “American values were also shaped.” This isn’t the author’s first attempt to encapsulate this important decade. He has written several others, with varying success. In one, he covered the collapse of the automobile industry; in another, the Vietnam War; and yet another, the rise of television. What do these books have in common? The selection of events, quotes, and stories that the author makes. Holbrook is careful to select the most salacious and interesting events. The result is an entertaining book, but one that seems lacking in depth. By leaving out simpler stories that don’t seem as sensational, he misses opportunities to create a larger picture of this elusive decade.

Question

Many books have been written about the 1950s, an important decade in American history. The author himself describes the decade as a time when his “values were shaped” and when “American values were also shaped.” This isn’t the author’s first attempt to encapsulate this important decade. He has written several others, with varying success. In one, he covered the collapse of the automobile industry; in another, the Vietnam War; and yet another, the rise of television. What do these books have in common? The selection of events, quotes, and stories that the author makes. Holbrook is careful to select the most salacious and interesting events. The result is an entertaining book, but one that seems lacking in depth. By leaving out simpler stories that don’t seem as sensational, he misses opportunities to create a larger picture of this elusive decade.
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

Which choice best evaluates the author’s use of evidence to convince the reader of her point of view?

(1 point)
Responses

The reviewer describes how the book has entertaining stories.
The reviewer describes how the book has entertaining stories.

The reviewer describes other books the author wrote.
The reviewer describes other books the author wrote.

The reviewer describes the collapse of the automobile industry.
The reviewer describes the collapse of the automobile industry.

The reviewer does not include specific evidence to convince the reader of her point of view.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The choice that best evaluates the author’s use of evidence to convince the reader of her point of view is:

The reviewer does not include specific evidence to convince the reader of her point of view.

This is because the reviewer critiques the author's selective storytelling and the lack of depth in depicting the 1950s, indicating that specific evidence is not provided to substantiate the arguments made.