Question

mahatma gandhi once said, \the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.\ municipal officials who propose cutting funding for animal shelters and agencies should be ashamed. many such facilities struggle to provide care for the countless needy cats, dogs, and other vulnerable animals. yet heartless government officials often zealously cut that funding from municipal budgets in favor of less urgent programs. it is time that government officials demonstrate greater decency and provide those urgent funds. if our officials do not, then they must be replaced by people more in the mold of gandhi.
which of the following is true of the argument made by the author in the passage?
1 it is likely to alienate readers who are not familiar with mahatma gandhi and his accomplishments.
2 it clarifies the issue by focusing readers attention on the most important aspects of municipal spending.
3 it attacks the character of decision makers rather than analyzing specific

Explanation:

1. Option 1 is incorrect: The argument's core is about animal shelter funding, and Gandhi's quote is a rhetorical framing. Readers unfamiliar with Gandhi can still grasp the core claim about treating animals and funding, so it is unlikely to alienate them.
2. Option 2 is incorrect: The passage does not clarify municipal spending by focusing on its most important aspects. It only argues for animal shelter funding over "less urgent programs" without defining or analyzing broader municipal spending priorities.
3. Option 3 is correct: The author uses ad hominem language (calls officials "heartless," says they "should be ashamed") to attack their character, rather than analyzing specific data, budget trade-offs, or policy details about the funding cuts.

Answer:

1. It attacks the character of decision makers rather than analyzing specific