Question

Read this passage from “The Obligation to Endure”:

Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life? They should not be called “insecticides,” but “biocides.”

How does Carson’s use of rhetorical device support her tone in this passage?

A. Carson’s use of personification appeals to her readers’ sense of ethics and credibility for her frank, causal tone
B. Carson’s use of personification illustrates that pesticides simply make things worse for everyone in the long run, supporting her negative, brooding tone
C. Carson’s use of rhetorical questions supports her uncertain, meek tone
D. Carson’s use of rhetorical questions supports her urgent and knowledgeable tone

Answer 1

Answer:D

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Answer: D. Carson’s use of rhetorical questions supports her urgent and knowledgeable tone

Step-by-step explanation:

What is a rhetorical question? A rhetorical question is "a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer" (Oxford Languages).

We see a rhetorical question being used with the sentence "Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life?"

This shows her urgent and knowledgeable tone because she is asking, it is not meek or uncertain. This leads us to answer choice d.