Page 33 - SpringBoard_CloseReading_Workshop_Grade7_Flipbook

Close Reading of argumentative nonfiction Texts (continued)
key ideas and deTails
Explain what is meant by the figurative expression “sword and shield.” How are the images in the sentence both “sword and shield?”
9 Now, we need a strategy — and a politics — that reflects this resilient spirit. Our victory against terrorism won’t be measured in a surrender ceremony on a battleship, or a statue being pulled to the ground. Victory will be measured in parents taking their kids to school; immigrants coming to our shores; fans taking in a ballgame; a veteran starting a business; a bustling city street. The quiet determination; that strength of character and bond of fellowship; that refutation of fear — that is both our sword and our shield. And long after the current messengers of hate have faded from the world’s memory, alongside the brutal despots, deranged madmen, and ruthless demagogues who litter history —
the flag of the United States will still wave from small-town cemeteries, to national monuments, to distant outposts abroad. And that flag will still stand for freedom.
10 Thank you. God Bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Check your Understanding
Questioning the Text: Using the text-based questions as a model, ask a question about the speaker’s use of tone and counterclaim to connect with his audience. Begin your questions with “Why” or “How.” Remember that you may not know the answer to the question but that you think the answer might be important to understanding the meaning of the passage.
Synthesizing your Understanding
Now that you have read the passage three times and studied its vocabulary and sentences, synthesize your understanding by examining the elements of speaker, subject, purpose, and tone. Respond to the following questions as a way of bringing all your understandings together.
Speaker: What do we know about the speaker? What is his perspective on the subject?
Subject: What is the author’s central topic and claim in this speech and what reasons does he offer to support it?
32 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 7
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