Question 17
GCE_MODEL_QUESTIONS_VOL1
•
2021
•
LITERATURE_IN_ENGLISH
•
objective
Consider the following speech excerpt delivered by a community leader during a campaign rally:
"Friends, friends, we stand at the crossroads of destiny. Will we let the shadows of complacency swallow our future, or will we rise—like a phoenix from the ashes—to claim the promise that belongs to every child in this valley? Our hands are not idle; they are the tools of change. Together, we can build bridges, not walls; we can plant hope, not sow doubt."
Identify three distinct rhetorical devices used in this passage, explain the specific function each serves in persuading the audience, and evaluate the overall persuasive impact of the speech.
Answer Options
A.
The speech employs (1) alliteration - "hands are not idle" - to create a musical quality; (2) hyperbole - "crossroads of destiny" - to exaggerate the stakes; (3) rhetorical question - "Will we let the shadows…?" - to engage the audience; these devices mainly add decorative flair but have little effect on persuasion.
B.
The leader relies on (1) anecdote - recalling a past victory - to build credibility; (2) statistics - citing numbers of children helped - to appeal to logic; (3) appeal to authority - invoking experts - to strengthen arguments; these devices make the speech highly logical rather than emotional.
Correct Answer
C.
The speech uses (1) repetition - "Friends, friends" - to create rhythm and solidarity; (2) metaphor - "crossroads of destiny" and "phoenix from the ashes" - to dramatise the situation and inspire hope; (3) antithesis - "build bridges, not walls; plant hope, not sow doubt" - to present a stark, persuasive choice. Together these devices generate emotional appeal, vivid imagery, and clear contrast, giving the speech a powerful persuasive effect.
D.
The passage uses (1) personification - "shadows of complacency swallow our future" - to give abstract ideas agency; (2) simile - "like a phoenix from the ashes" - to compare the community to a mythical bird; (3) parallelism - "build bridges, not walls; plant hope, not sow doubt" - to reinforce the message; together they produce a subtle, modest persuasive effect.
Correct Answer
C
Correct Option:
The speech uses (1) repetition - "Friends, friends" - to create rhythm and solidarity; (2) metaphor - "crossroads of destiny" and "phoenix from the ashes" - to dramatise the situation and inspire hope; (3) antithesis - "build bridges, not walls; plant hope, not sow doubt" - to present a stark, persuasive choice. Together these devices generate emotional appeal, vivid imagery, and clear contrast, giving the speech a powerful persuasive effect.
About This Question
This is
Gce Model Questions Vol1
2021
Literature In English
Question 17.
It is one of the
objective
questions from the
2021
Gce Model Questions Vol1
Literature In English
examination.
Difficulty level:
Hard
.