EDIS 7810: Pre-assessment

Name: __________________________
Date: ___________________________
Hour: ___________________________

General Directions: The following is a pre-assessment to determine your current knowledge

about our upcoming unit, “Argument and Rhetoric: The Art and Craft of Analysis.” This will
not be graded; however, it is important that you do your best so the results demonstrate an
accurate picture of what you already know. Please read all directions carefully, take your
time, and begin.

Part I Directions—Constructed response: Read the following constructed response items and
respond in writing. If there are multiple components or questions to an item, make sure to
answer all parts. If you need additional space to respond to the item, please do so on the
back of the page.

1. Describe an instance in which you attempted to persuade your parent or a friend of

something you really wanted to do. Then, consider and record the ways in which you
attempted to persuade your parent or friend.

2. List differences between an informational text and a literary text.

3. List the three different rhetorical appeals and briefly describe each or give an example of
each. (*Note: If you know the specific term, please list and define it. However, if you don’t
know the terms, please provide a definition, explanation, or example based on what you
know.)
EDIS 7810: Pre-assessment

Part II Directions—Matching: For the following section, you will be matching the definition in the
left column (Column 1) with the corresponding term in the right column (Column 2). Please write
the correct response to #4-10 on the blank following the definition. Please note that some words
may be used more than once or not at all. If you are unsure of an answer and guess, please
indicate that you guessed on the item by placing a star to the left of the corresponding number
item.

Column 1: Column 2:

4. Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis _____ A. Epistrophe

5. Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas _____ B. Rhetoric
6. Repetition of sounds within words _____ C. Antithesis
7. The art of effective or persuasive D. Hyperbole
speaking or writing _____ E. Paradox
8. Repetition of the same word(s) at F. Euphemism
the end of successive clauses _____ G. Consonance
9. A play on the meaning of words _____ H. Pun
10. Harsh words substituted for milder ones _____ I. Assonance

Part III Directions—Constructed response: Read the following brief passage titled “Reasons to
Become a Volunteer.” Then, based on the reading, respond to #11-13. If there are multiple
components or questions to an item, make sure to answer all parts. If you need additional
space to respond to the item, please do so on the back of the page.

*Note: Text sample taken from the following website:

https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/persuasive/reasons-to-become-a-
volunteer.html

“Reasons to Become a Volunteer”

In our modern, capitalistic world, the idea of doing something for free might sound strange.
Western society has oriented itself on success and profit, people possessing honed
professional skills, and being able to “sell” these skills; therefore, the idea of working for free
does not fit into such an outlook. However, it strongly depends on how you look at it; for
instance, volunteering, which has become popular in recent decades, is one of the greatest
examples of how a job can pay off not with just money. It can be said that everyone should at
least once in their lifetime try volunteering due to a number of reasons.

Although it may sound paradoxical, volunteering is one of the easiest ways to find a job. After
graduating from a college or university, many get stuck in the situation of trying to find a job,
but needing working experience, you cannot obtain working experience because no one hires
you. Statistics show about 73% of employers would prefer to hire a person with volunteering
experience in the field than a person without one; 94% of employers share the belief that
EDIS 7810: Pre-assessment

volunteering helps potential employees obtain new skills and diversifies their qualification,
and thus are more prone to hiring people who volunteer. Respectively, 94% of those people
believe volunteering can add to one’s skills; 94% of people who were hired after a
volunteering experience say such an experience aided them in getting their first job, or
benefited them in other ways, such as quicker promotion, salary increases, or obtaining new
skills (World Volunteer Web). Having relevant work experience obtained during volunteering
and specifying it in your CV can be a kickstarter for your career, because nowadays more and
more employers tend to count volunteering as actual work experience (ReachOut.com).
Besides, volunteering is a great option to explore possible career opportunities if you are
unsure what you would like be doing for living. Through various programs, you can try
yourself in a number of organizations, working on different problems, and in different
positions, without having to do job-hunting, and then job-hopping. Therefore, if you still think
you do not have time to volunteer because you need to look for a job, or because
volunteering could be a nuisance to your duties, you might want to reconsider your opinion.

Also, volunteering is a natural way of socialization and getting to know your surroundings,
meeting new people, and finding useful contacts. Regularly meeting with a group of people
who share the same activities, way of thinking, and goals can make it easier for you to make
friends. Besides, volunteering could make a great example for your children; if you want to
teach them responsibility, compassion, and how one person can make a difference by
personally participating in solving it, you should volunteer; children tend to learn through
observing what adults do, and by your example, they will have a great role model to adopt.
And, of course, through volunteering, you can find a lot of useful contacts, resources, and
activities for your whole family (HelpGuide).

There have been surprising research studies connecting helping other people on a voluntary
basis with mental health; specifically, people who are known to be involved into different
forms of selflessly helping other people, animals, and so on, felt like they were undergoing
some sort of beneficial therapy. In particular, according to CSV, millions of people in the
United Kingdom doing voluntary work started to feel less depressed; about 48% of those who
have been involved in volunteering during the last two years felt relief in terms of depression,
and improvement of their mental condition. Among more than 600 volunteers who were
observed during the experiment, 63% of people aged between 25 and 34 said that
volunteering reduced their stress levels—so did about 62% of volunteers over 65 years old.
According to CSV’s research, volunteering also helps reduce work-related stress, and even
boosts productivity: 31% of people aged between 18 and 24 said they had taken less time off
work since starting to volunteer (The Guardian).

All these facts demonstrate that volunteering is a great alternative to a number of other
activities, since it can help you acquire work experience and get a job; makes you more
sociable, and turns you into a good role model for your children; and besides, it decreases the
levels of stress we are exposed to on a daily basis, and helps people effectively combat
depression. Therefore, you might want to start volunteering as soon as possible.
 EDIS 7810: Pre-assessment

Works Cited

1. “Benefits of Volunteering.” World Volunteer Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
2. Segal, Jeanne, and Lawrence Robinson. “Volunteering and Its Surprising Benefits: How
Volunteering Makes Us Healthier and Happier.” HelpGuide.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
3. “6 Reasons Why Volunteering is Good for You.” ReachOut.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
4. “Volunteering Linked to Fall in Depression.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Sept.
2004. Web. 14 Sept. 2016

11. What is the main purpose of the above text? How does the author convey the purpose?

12. What is your response to the author’s stance/stated position in the above text? Explain
your reasoning.

13. In your own words, what does it mean to be a “critical consumer of information?” In what
ways, if any, are you a critical consumer of information?