Hose Kim

Ms. Aboelezz

AP Language & Composition

August 13, 2017

AP Language and Composition Summer Assignment

Part I:

Activity 1 (pg. 2):

The following advertisement misleads the audience through a deceptive claim about the

product. The company presents all the physical enhancements the consumer may obtain by using

the product, but it avoids disclosing the health hazards and other side effects resulting from the

consumption. For example, the attractive physiques depicted in the advertisement exemplify the

positive effects of the product. In addition, the company appeals to the masses by claiming their

product to be “America’s #1 Selling Thermogenic.” Through this claim, the company attracts

more consumers by guaranteeing the efficiency of the product through its popularity. It also
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entices the consumer by offering a free bottle of Hydroxycut as a bait, making the purchase of

the product even more desirable. By veiling the harms and emphasizing the benefits of the

product, the company deceives the consumer into buying its product.

The above advertisement successfully delivers its message and purpose in a clear and

effective manner. The message is quite explicit on the first look based on the statement of “Find

Your Greatness.” The background image of a fat man jogging has more implicit meaning. The

image empowers courage and motivates the audience to fight against obstacles. Not only is the

message inspiring and memorable, it also sets up an implication that the Nike products would

support everyone to reach their personal objectives. Since the values emphasized in the

advertisement are widely relevant to everyone, Nike effectively appeals to credibility with a

large audience. The powerful message embodied in the advertisement meaningfully reaches out

to the audience and builds trust in the brand.

The difference between deceptive and civil advertisements is the way in which the

message is delivered. In a deceptive advertisement, the truth about the product is not entirely

unveiled, instead, it misleads the audience about the quality or the effects of its product. Often,
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the descriptions of the product are very one-sided and avoid disclosing the defects of the product.

This is particularly true in the Hydroxycut ad, which leaves out the safety cautions of consuming

the diet pills, and only presents the physical benefits of the product for the sole purpose of luring

more consumers. In a deceptive advertisement, the company usually has no intention of

improving the lives of its consumers but simply make more money off its products. On the other

hand, a civil advertisement impacts the audience through meaningful messages and demonstrates

how the product would fit into consumers’ lives. The values represented by the advertisement are

clear, definite, and inextricably connected to the consumers. For instance, the image of the fat

man jogging in the Nike ad delivers courage and confidence to the audience. The positive

message of the Nike ad is more authentic and resonates with the audience.

Activity 2 (pg. 4):

The following excerpt is adapted from Joe Dodson, “Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash

Review,” criticizing the poor mechanics and design of a new DS game:

Do you ever wonder what it must be like to be the guy who plays Godzilla in all those

movies? By day, he's Godzilla; by night, he's Todd. He gets paid to act like a monster, but

he's only too aware of his actual limitations, just as he knows that King Ghidorah isn't

really a giant, alien space dragon; King Ghidorah is really Bill, and his wife is leaving

him. Now you too can share in Todd's feelings of disillusionment and despair with Atari's

new Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash, a game that ostensibly lets you burn cities,

crush armies, and defeat monsters as Godzilla, but actually serves to remind you that

you're just a normal guy or gal playing a bad video game. (Dodson)
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Dodson’s subject is the poor performance of the game. The review continues on about his

dull experience with the game in every aspect from repetitive storyline and gameplay to painful,

unfitting soundtrack. The primary audience is the Nintendo or Godzilla fans who might have

thought about purchasing the game. Moreover, the relationship between the speaker and the

audience is digital, as the review is only accessible through online. The review utterly

disappoints the fans with its harsh criticism of the game. This connects to the whole purpose of

the review, which is to warn the audience before purchasing the game. Dodson, for example,

compares the gameplay to a “free Internet flash game,” which gives an idea to the audience that

the game is not worth buying.

Activity 3 (pg.6):

Subject: Explicitly, the subject is about the recent terrorist acts that have devastated countless

lives and buildings, and the nation’s declaration to move forward and establish justice. The

implicit subject is the undefeatable American nationalism that joins the nation together in times

of crisis.

Occasion: The occasion is the 9/11 terrorist attack. More specifically, the speech was delivered

right after the terrorism to mourn the loss and declare war against terrorism

Audience: The target audience is not just the victims who have suffered from the terrorist acts,

but also the terrorists who have committed the crimes. As the President of the United States,

George Bush also addresses every American citizen on behalf of the government and the nation.

More broadly, he is speaking to the entire globe that America has not yielded to terrorism and

would rightfully respond to these attacks to enforce justice.

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Purpose: The primary purpose of the speech is to show that America remains intact and strong

despite the terrorist attacks. He guarantees the nation’s economy would reinstate and continue to

flourish. Bush establishes feelings of security and safety throughout the speech in order to

reassure his citizens and continue moving forward against terrorism. Moreover, Bush is willing

to avenge the death of his citizens and the destructions by bringing justice to those behind the

attacks. Rather than simply sympathizing the victims of the terrorism, Bush aims to stabilize the

nation that is currently in a state of crisis through the speech.

Speaker: The speaker is George W. Bush, the President of the United States. He speaks with

dignity and formality throughout the speech while responding to the recent terrorism. In his

speech, however, Bush is not just the leader of one nation, but he also presents himself as an

American citizen who feels grief and anger for the destructions that have shattered the entire

nation.

Activity 4 (pg. 10):

When you are presenting your ways to prevent bullying to a certain group of people, your

approach to attain credibility with the School Board and parents should be different than when

you are with students.

When speaking to the School Board and parents, it would be most effective to have an

expertise in the study of bullying. For instance, you may be a psychologist who has studied and

researched on bullying or teenage behaviors. In this case, your expertise would guarantee that

your statistics and facts are from a trustworthy source. Especially when you are dealing with

adults, it is important to prove your profession in the field so that the audience would trust in

your arguments. Another way would be to present yourself as a parent who has his children
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previously bullied or victimized in school. In this way, you would establish ethos by speaking as

a first person who knows what it feels like to see their children bullied. This would not only help

gain sympathy from the audience but also trust in your speech.

When talking to a group of students, you have to be aware of the fact that they are the

ones who can possibly be the victims or the aggressors. Although being an expert or professional

may also work, having an adult or grownup speaking to the students may make them feel

uncomfortable or even intimidating. However, if you are a student who has experienced bullying

in the past, you could form a sense of bond and commonality with the students, which may be

more effective in presenting your views and solutions on bullying. The students you talk to may

never have seen or experienced bullying, thus by telling your first person experience with

bullying, your message would reach out to the students more effectively and meaningfully.

Activity 5 (pg. 12):

To give a logical argument against the inexorable intake of coal in China, George Will

starts off the passage with a staggering statistic regarding the massive amount of coal burned in

China every year. This gains an immediate attention from the audience. Throughout the passage,

Will offers clear reasons for his main argument, all backed up by sufficient amount of evidence.

For instance, he blames America and Austria for supplying these coals to China, calling their

supplies a “crime against nature.” He then supports his claim about these supplies from America

by pointing out that “150 million tons” have been exported from the “Powder River Basin of

Wyoming and Montana.” Furthermore, he refutes the counterargument about the profits China

has gained through the intake of coal. The counterargument claims that the massive import of

coal has led to the enhanced national transportation system, increased capacity of the electrical
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system, and new cities to withstand the exponentially rising population. However, the

aforementioned statistics on the tremendous burning of coal, which has been damaging the

environment, undermine the benefits stated in the counterargument. Will has carefully chosen his

evidence from credible sources, including the Times and the Atlantic. By strengthening his

argument and undermining the counterargument through evidence, Will successfully delivers the

urgency of the growing coal problem in China to the audience.

Activity 6 (pg. 17):

At the outset, Eisenhower spurs a feeling of patriotism and union by telling that the entire

world supports the Allied Expeditionary Force. As the commander of the troop, Eisenhower does

not level himself with his soldiers in the beginning of the speech, yet he is still able to establish

proximity with his soldiers by speaking about their common fears and hopes. He mostly uses

“you” and “I” to maintain his superiority and leadership over the soldiers. Without being too

despondent, Eisenhower warns his troops that the “enemy is well trained, well equipped, and

battle hardened.” Afterwards, he revitalizes their spirits by stating that the German soldiers have

suffered from “great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man” and “reduced [of] their strength in the

air and their capacity to wage war on the ground.” Approaching the end of the speech, he shifts

to using first person possessive pronouns to establish a sense of common purpose and aspiration.

He tells them, “our air offense has reduced [the German] strength” and “our Home Fronts have

given us an overwhelming superiority.” He delivers that the tides have turned to their side and

the soldiers have nothing to be afraid of. Not only this further strengthens the union among

soldiers, it augments their trust in their nations. In the end, Eisenhower embeds confidence and
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relief in his soldiers by concluding with remarks about the “blessing of Almighty God” upon

them. The religious reference inspirits the soldiers and gives them a feeling of embracement.

Activity 7 (pg. 20):

Choice: You need to propose healthier diets in the school cafeteria to your principal and school

staff during a time when the school budget is limited.

Ethos: As a student, it would be difficult to demonstrate that you are credible based on your

reputation as you do not have any expertise or profession in the field. However, you can still

emphasize your common purpose with the students and staffs at the school, that you honestly

believe bringing in healthier food choices into the cafeteria would be the benefits of all. By

sharing your sincerity with the audience, it would give them a reason to listen to you on the

subject. Otherwise, the audience would not be open to your demands in changing the food

choices in the cafeteria, especially under budget constraints.

Logos: Logos is the most crucial factor in determining whether your demands are worth the risk.

You can present statistics, facts, or examples about how nutritious diets can help students grow

up healthy both physically and mentally. You can even mention about the consequences of cheap

artificial foods leading to increased rates of childhood obesity, which can become a long-term

problem for students from poor and minor families. When considering all the costs that

unhealthy food choices in the cafeteria can result in, you can argue the changes are worth the

chance. Evidence from trustworthy sources would be necessary to make your arguments

persuasive. A way to strengthen your point, even more, would be to acknowledge and refute a

counterargument that low-priced food choices would save school budget. This can be through

presenting methods to produce new funds such as an advertisement for donation, ticket sales for
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school events, or toy resales. By weakening the counterargument, you can make your argument

seems a better choice.

Pathos: You can appeal to pathos by explaining how the consequences of unhealthy foods

choices can forever impact students’ lives. Perhaps the most striking appeal to emotions would

be connecting these consequences with the children of the audience. Just as they would not let

their children eat unhealthy food at school, so too the parents of all students at the school. It is

important to remind the audience that healthier food choices may cost the school more money,

but if they truly care about the well-being of their students, they would make the correct decision

and bring in healthier foods into the school.

Activity 8 (pg. 22):

The speaker of the advertisement is the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which is an active

conservation organization, particularly in Africa. The audience is other environmentalists who

would like to join the cause or donors who are willing to contribute money to support the

organization.

The reputation of WWF and their sincerity in protecting the nature and people establish

ethos. The written text reveals the motive of the conservation organization, which is to aid the

“ten million people in sub-Saharan Africa [who] make a living fishing” and “protect marine

population from overfishing.” The selfless and noble motive encourages the audience to support

the movement. The organization is also “at work in more than 40 countries” in order to develop

efficient and safe fishing practices, as well as safeguarding the marine lives. Their worldwide

influence further appeals to credibility by showing the audience that the organization is already

helping the nature everywhere.

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The image in the advertisement evokes emotions. The red, blue-dotted fish in the center

grabs immediate attention. The depressing eye of the fish delivers the urgency of the

environmental crisis. The photo of two topless African fishermen reinforces the organization’s

claim about helping millions of African fishermen retain their job and support their families. The

photo gains sympathy from the audience seeing how the fishermen may lose their only job and

unable to support their families. The WWF is prioritizing both mankind and nature in their cause.

At the bottom of the advertisement, the organization asks the audience to “be a part of our

work,” after they have seen the noble purpose of the movement and feel the need to support it.

The logo of the WWF on the top reminds the audience again of the credibility of the organization

and brings in trust. By deliberately placing different elements throughout the advertisement, the

organization successfully persuades the audience to care about the “future of nature” and help the

movement.

In the beginning of the text, the WWF states, “In the past three decades, the number of

fish in [African] waters has declined by 50%.” The mention of the decline of fish is an appeal to

logos because fish plays a significant role in both African economy and wildlife. As

aforementioned, “ten million people in sub-Saharan Africa make a living fishing.” Thus the loss

of marine lives would aggravate the already desperate economic situation in the region. In

addition, the decline would impact the food chain in African wildlife that can lead to long-term

environmental problems.

Overall, the advertisement effectively reaches out to the intended audience. It first

informs the problem regarding the depopulation of African marine lives, aided by visual

elements that grab the audience by their heartstrings. The image of the red fish and African

fishermen gains solicitude from the audience, thus encouraging them to support the movement.
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The advertisement does not simply convince the audience using emotions, instead, they give out

a reason. The millions of African families depend their livings on the marine life, and losing

what they only have at the moment would be tragic.

Activity 9 (pg. 27):

Tamar Demby criticizes Applebaum’s argument for failing to present any concrete

evidence and instead manipulating the audience’s emotions by presenting only the devastations

of the catastrophe. Demby’s stance toward Applebaum’s argument is quite apparent in her

statement, “it becomes tempting to regard any danger as an apocalypse waiting to happen.” She

argues that Applebaum embroiders the current problems and makes them appear more

dangerous. For instance, Applebaum explicitly mentions that the “chances of a major disaster are

tiny, one in a million,” but she presents these improbable scenarios appear alarming by

emphasizing the destructions that can take place. Demby then adds to her argument about how

Applebaum also fails to appeal to ethos as she has no expertise in nuclear catastrophe issues.

Demby suggests Applebaum should have based her arguments mostly on appeal to logos, which

would have allowed her argument to be backed by strong evidence from credible sources, but

instead the author chose to appeal to emotions. For instance, Applebaum warns the risk of

nuclear catastrophe by demonstrating that even Japan with “technological brilliance” could not

survive the nuclear meltdown. However, as Demby points out, Applebaum fails to provide any

evidence that supports Japan’s technological brilliance, which nullifies the argument made in the

article.

I overall agree with Demby’s criticism. She tackles the flaws that weaken the argument

in the article. Because Applebaum lacks profession in the field, the only way for the audience to
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believe in her claims is to use strong evidence. Applebaum is speaking as a columnist, not a

nuclear physicist, hence without a viewpoint from a professional, her argument would be fragile.

Just as Demby argues, Applebaum seems to only unveil one side of the situation, the one that

appears more tragic. Demby recognizes this problem and uses evidence from the article to

reinforce her point.

However, one way for her to improve her essay would be to present a counterargument.

By constructing a refutation of the counterargument, Demby could strengthen her criticism on

the evidence-lacking article and demonstrate her understanding of other possible views. For

instance, it is true that Applebaum often uses emotions to reinforce her points, but her article is

still arguable to some degree. Applebaum does make her point about being alarmed about even a

slight chance of catastrophe, which can possibly devastate an entire city or nation. If Japan was

not able to fully recover from the nuclear meltdown, the result would be far more catastrophic in

underdeveloped nations. This argument about the devastating effects of nuclear catastrophe

misses evidence, but it still has a strong point. If Demby acknowledges and counters

Applebaum’s argument, it would strengthen her essay.

Activity 10 (pg. 29) :

To examine the rhetorical situation, the speaker of the advertisement is the Federal

Highway Administration. The occasion is unspecified, but the context of the advertisement is an

accident that could have hurt a mother and her child. The audience is both drivers and

pedestrians. The purpose of the advertisement is to warn how the impatience and carelessness of

drivers can result in undoable consequences. The overall subject is the danger of car accident.
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The history and background of FHWA appeal to ethos in the advertisement. Since the

organization is a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation and is created for the sole

purpose of managing transportation system, the audience would trust in the advertisement. The

organization is not targeting money, but simply raising awareness on car accidents. For the

ethical and nonprofit intention of the advertisement, the FHWA is able to establish credibility

and trust with the audience.

The image of the baby stroller pulls the heartstrings of the audience. The quotation above

the image gives some context to what has happened; a driver has hit a mother and her child. By

making the victims of the car accident a mother and child, who are often characterized as the

“weak” and “vulnerable” in the society, the organization gains sympathy from the audience. The

quotation is also spoken in a style of testimony. And instead of a direct apology to the victims,

the driver blames the accident on the circumstance by stating, “I was looking out for other cars. I

didn’t see the mother and child in the crosswalk.” The accusing tone of the driver provokes anger

from the audience and more sympathy for the victims of the accident.

The caption at the bottom reads, “In the time it takes to look for someone in the

crosswalk and stop for them, you could save a life… or change yours forever.” The commentary

appeals to logos as a simple effort of observation and cautiousness can save lives. It is reasonable

for the audience to avoid an everlasting guilt by killing the victims because of a single

inattention.

All in all, the advertisement is quite effective in sending its message about waiting for the

pedestrians to cross the highway. The visual element immediately grabs the audience’s attention,

and the quotation adds to the emotions in the advertisement. The advertisement allows the
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audience to learn about the tragic consequences of a car accident. The combination of different

appeals successfully touches the audience and calls to action.

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Works Cited

Dodson, Joe. “Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash Review.” GameSpot, GameSpot, 20 Nov.

2007, www.gamespot.com/reviews/godzilla-unleashed-double-smash-review/1900-

6184054/.

Find Your Greatness Nike Ad. Digital image. Mail Online. Mail Online, 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 2

Aug. 2017. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2185150/Find-Your-Greatness-

advert-Story-200lb-jogging-boy-Nathan-Sorrell-new-Nike-ad-charmed-America.html>.

Hydroxycut – Show off Your Defined Muscles with This Amazing Product. Digital image.

Nataliarocon. Nataliarocon, 11 Jan. 2011. Web. 3 Aug. 2017.

<https://nataliarocon.com/hydroxycut-show-off-your-defined-muscles-with-this-

amazing-product/>.