Question

Read the excerpt from "Children of the Drug Wars."

He also asked Congress to grant powers that could eliminate legal protections for children from Central America in order to expedite removals, a change that Republicans in Congress have also advocated.

This would allow life-or-death decisions to be made within hours by Homeland Security officials, even though studies have shown that border patrol agents fail to adequately screen Mexican children to see if they are being sexually exploited by traffickers or fear persecution, as the agents are supposed to do. Why would they start asking Central American children key questions needed to prove refugee status?

Which element of the excerpt indicates that it is an editorial?

clear evidence of facts and statistics
an unbiased view of the events
words with strong connotations
a story-like presentation

Answer 1

words with strong connotations

The passage uses charged language ("life-or-death decisions") and a rhetorical question ("Why would they start asking..."), signaling opinion and advocacy typical of an editorial.