Question+18

//And voters, many of them parents who believe they already "did their bit" by raising their own children, are becoming less and less willing to subsidize schools for "other" people's kids.//
 * 18. In context, the tone of lines 8-12 ("And voters . . . kids") can best be described as...**

Question 18 is a tone question and requires knowledge of how to read an author's tone as well as knowing the definitions of the offered tone words. By picking out certain phrases in the excerpt and taking note of the author's overall choices in diction and rhetorical technique, the student should be able to identify the overall feel of the sentence. After identifying the tone of the sentence, the student should then look for which answer option most closely resembles the tone word in their head.

(A) heedless Answer A is a wrong answer. "Heedless" means "careless; thoughtless; unmindful". There is nothing careless or reckless about the excerpt; in fact, the language is chosen quite carefully and deliberately.

(B) scandalized Answer B is the distractor option. "Scandalized" means that something is written with the intent of "shocking or horrifying by something considered immoral or improper". While the author did write this excerpt with the idea of instilling disgust or dislike in the reader, the passage lacks the shock factor that generally composes scandalized text.

(C) critical Answer C is the correct answer. "Critical" means "inclined to find fault or to judge with severity". The author deliberately uses quotations from parents to scathingly mock them in a derogatory manner in order to instill a negative reaction in the reader. Here, the author is harshly judging the parents by pointing out their flaws and faults. Thus, this passage is written with a critical tone.

(D) surprised Answer D is a wrong answer. "Surprised" means that something has caused "a sudden feeling of astonishment or wonder". The author is very controlled in this excerpt and has not been excited by anything. Nothing in this passage implies that the author was surprised.

(E) encouraging Answer E is a wrong answer. "Encouraging" means that something is written to "inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence". The remarks the author makes here are negative remarks deliberately stated to oust a certain group and instill disgust in the reader. The quotations are used to mock the parents and not to motivate them. This passage was not meant to encourage.