Question

practice questions
read the following questions and answer to the best of your ability. you will also be asked to write a short response to a prompt.
passage a: journal of a factory worker, 1911
today the machines clattered so loudly i could hardly think. twelve - hour shifts on the spindles left my back aching. mr. henry says this is progress - more cloth, more profit. but what of us? we cough, our fingers bleed, and still the bell does not release us until dark. some say unions may help, but the owners warn us: speak up and youll find no work at all.
passage b: newspaper editorial, 1911
the new textile mills stand as monuments to american innovation. they provide steady work for men, women, and even the young, lifting families out of poverty. critics complain of long hours, yet they forget that previous generations toiled on farms from dawn to dusk. the mills represent opportunity, industry, and a brighter future for our nation.

1. what is the central theme of passage a?

a) the pride of working in factories
b) the hardships faced by industrial workers
c) the value of innovation in society
d) the importance of loyalty to one’s employer

1. what is the author’s purpose in passage b?

a) to persuade readers that industrialization is progress
b) to describe the daily life of a mill worker
c) to argue for shorter working hours
d) to inform readers about farming practices

1. how do the perspectives of passage a and passage b differ?

a) passage a views factory work as hardship, passage b sees it as opportunity, passage b sees it as exploitation.
b) passage a views factory work as hardship, passage b sees it as progress.
c) both passages view factory work as dangerous.
d) both passages celebrate industrial advancement.

1. which rhetorical appeal is most evident in passage a?

a) ethos – the worker establishes credibility
b) logos – the worker uses logic to explain progress
c) pathos – the worker appeals to emotion through suffering
d) ethos – the worker cites factory statistics

Explanation:

1. In Passage A, the worker describes long - hours, physical pain, and poor working conditions, indicating hardships faced by industrial workers.
2. Passage B emphasizes that new textile mills are a sign of progress, providing work and lifting families out of poverty, aiming to persuade that industrialization is progress.
3. Passage A focuses on the hardships of factory work like noise, long hours, and poor treatment, while Passage B sees it as an opportunity and progress.
4. In Passage A, the worker describes suffering (coughing, bleeding fingers, long hours) to evoke an emotional response, which is pathos.

Answer:

1. b) The hardships faced by industrial workers
2. a) To persuade readers that industrialization is progress
3. a) Passage A views factory work as hardship, Passage B sees it as progress
4. c) Pathos – the worker appeals to emotion through suffering