Question

Read the passage below and identify the charged language that is used to persuade the reader.

Add high energy prices to a sagging economy in an election year and politicians will inevitably come up with bad policies, like converting the corn crop into ethanol or John McCain’s proposal to suspend the federal gas tax — neither will provide real relief at the pump while both are guaranteed to create other problems.
The good news is that Congress failed last week to cut a deal on two more bad ideas: Republicans’ misguided push for offshore drilling and Democrats’ misbegotten plan to curb speculation in oil futures.
Republicans should know that allowing more offshore drilling might marginally trim oil prices — in about a decade — while sacrificing important environmental protections. Democrats should know that financial speculation is not what’s driving oil prices, and that curbing futures trading could hamper the ability of companies like airlines and oil refineries to manage their risks by locking in the price of oil. Putting them together is compounding one bad idea with another.

Answer 1

In the passage provided, several instances of charged language can be identified that are used to persuade the reader:

"bad policies" - This term carries a negative connotation and implies that the mentioned policies are harmful or ineffective.

"guaranteed to create other problems" - This phrase suggests that the policies will undoubtedly lead to negative consequences.

"misguided push" - The word "misguided" implies that the Republicans' support for offshore drilling is not just wrong but also ill-informed.

"misbegotten plan" - Similar to "misguided," the term "misbegotten" implies that the Democrats' plan is not just wrong but also ill-conceived.

"compounding one bad idea with another" - This phrase emphasizes the negative aspect of combining the two ideas, portraying it as a poor decision.

These terms and phrases are emotionally charged and are used to persuade the reader to adopt the author's perspective, which is critical of the mentioned policies and plans.