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Difficulty: EasyAnalyzing Author Purpose, Perspective, and Tone

Read the following excerpt from a journalistic essay:

"In the historic neighborhoods of Cuenca, Ecuador, municipal leaders have begun formalizing the ancient Andean tradition of the minga—a practice of collective, voluntary community labor—to rehabilitate public plazas and community gardens. While some critics dismiss traditional customs as inefficient in a modern city, the evidence across southern Ecuador proves otherwise. When residents gather with shovels and paintbrushes on Saturday mornings, they do more than repair crumbling infrastructure; they rebuild fractured social ties and foster authentic civic pride that top-down municipal contracts could never purchase. Integrating the minga into city planning is not an outdated sentiment, but an indispensable model of collaborative governance."

What is the author's primary purpose in this excerpt?

  1. To advocate for integrating traditional collective community labor into modern urban governanceAnswer
  2. B
    To express skepticism regarding whether public plazas and community gardens in Ecuador can be successfully maintained
  3. C
    To list the specific physical tools and painting equipment used during neighborhood restoration projects
  4. D
    To argue that municipal governments must abolish all formal construction contracts across every public sector

Answer

To advocate for integrating traditional collective community labor into modern urban governance
The author explicitly highlights the positive social and civic benefits of the minga, directly refuting critics and concluding that incorporating this tradition into city planning provides an indispensable model for modern governance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main topic and the author's central stance
The author discusses the Andean tradition of the minga in Cuenca, Ecuador, and argues against critics by stating that integrating the minga is an 'indispensable model of collaborative governance.'
Determining the author's main argument clarifies the underlying intent of the essay.
2
Analyze the tone and word choice
Words and phrases like 'proves otherwise,' 'rebuild fractured social ties,' and 'indispensable model' demonstrate a supportive, persuasive, and admiring tone toward the practice.
Author purpose is closely tied to rhetorical tone and evaluative vocabulary.
3
Match the identified purpose with the options
The option emphasizing advocacy for integrating traditional community labor into urban governance matches the author's thesis and supportive tone.
The correct choice directly reflects the primary communicative goal of the passage without exaggeration or focus on minor details.

Key Concept

Analyzing author purpose and rhetorical perspective in journalistic essays
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Topics

Analyzing Author Purpose, Perspective, and Tone

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