Question

1) All of us want to provide students with a safe and welcoming environment for learning at
school. (2) Unfortunately, bullying in schools is a serious problem. (3) Each day, about 160,000
students skip school because they are afraid of being bullied, showing clearly why we need to
act to end all forms of bullying in schools. (4) As a child, I was a victim of bullying in school, and
I can tell you that it is an experience from which it is hard to recover. (5) We need to let our kids
know that there are resources to help them if they have been the victims of bullying. (6) We also
need to let the students who bully others know that there are resources to help them find a
better way to deal with their problems and frustrations than taking them out on others.
1. What is the author’s claim, or position?
2. Which type of appeal is used in sentence 1 of the passage?
a. appeal to logic c. appeal to shared values
b. appeal to sympathy d. appeal to a negative emotion
3. Which type of appeal is used in sentence 3 of the passage?
a. appeal to logic c. appeal to shared values
b. appeal to sympathy d. appeal to a negative emotion
4. Which type of appeal is used in sentence 4 of the passage?
a. appeal to logic c. appeal to shared values
b. appeal to sympathy d. appeal to a negative emotion
5. Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?
a. nervous c. playful
b. concerned d. unfeeling
B. DIRECTIONS: Read each statement below. Then, indicate the type of appeal being used (logic,
sympathy, shared values, or negative emotions), and explain your answer.
1. The use of tobacco, such as cigarettes, is the largest preventable cause of death and disease
in the United States. Each year, more than 480,000 Americans die because of tobacco use.
Do yourself a favor! Don’t start!
2. We all want to work in safe conditions while making a living. Secondhand smoke is very
harmful to non-smokers, which is why it’s so important that smoking be banned in all

Answer 1

A.
1. Author’s claim/position:
- Schools should take action to stop bullying and provide resources to help both victims and students who bully.

2. Sentence 1: which appeal?
- c. appeal to shared values
- Explanation: It invokes a common, widely held value (wanting a safe, welcoming learning environment) to persuade the audience.

3. Sentence 3: which appeal?
- a. appeal to logic
- Explanation: It uses a specific statistic (about 160,000 students) as factual evidence to support the need for action.

4. Sentence 4: which appeal?
- b. appeal to sympathy
- Explanation: The author’s personal anecdote about being bullied seeks readers’ empathy and emotional response.

5. Tone of the passage:
- b. concerned
- Explanation: The language expresses worry about bullying and urges action and support, showing care rather than playfulness or indifference.

B. For each statement, identify the appeal and explain.

1. "The use of tobacco...Each year, more than 480,000 Americans die because of tobacco use. Do yourself a favor! Don’t start!"
- Type of appeal: logic (appeal to facts/statistics)
- Explanation: The statement cites a large, concrete statistic about deaths to provide factual evidence of harm and to rationally persuade the reader not to start smoking.

2. "We all want to work in safe conditions while making a living. Secondhand smoke is very harmful to non-smokers, which is why it’s so important that smoking be banned in all..."
- Type of appeal: shared values
- Explanation: The opening “We all want…” appeals to a common value (safe workplaces). Although it includes a factual claim about harm, its primary tactic is to align the audience around a shared belief to justify the proposed ban.