Question

read the excerpt from \children of the drug wars.\ by sending these children away, \you are handing them a death sentence,\ says josé arnulfo ochoa ochoa, an expert in honduras with world vision international, a christian humanitarian aid group. this abrogates international conventions we have signed and undermines our credibility as a humane country. it would be a disgrace if this wealthy nation turned its back on the 52,000 children who have arrived since october, many of them legitimate refugees. which phrase from the excerpt contains words with strong connotations that help describe the seriousness of the situation? \handing them a death sentence\ \abrogates international conventions we have signed\ \turned its back on the 52,000 children\ \legitimate refugees\

Explanation:

To determine the phrase with strong connotations describing the seriousness, we analyze each option:

• "handing them a death sentence": The phrase "death sentence" has a very strong negative connotation, implying that sending the children away is equivalent to condemning them to death, which powerfully conveys the gravity of the situation.
• "abrogates international conventions we have signed": This is more about legal/official violations, not as emotionally charged to show seriousness of the children's situation.
• "turned its back on the 52,000 children": While negative, "turned its back" is a metaphor but less intense than "death sentence" in showing the dire consequences for the children.
• "legitimate refugees": This is a neutral - descriptive term, not carrying strong connotations of seriousness.

Answer:

A. "handing them a death sentence"