CHAPTER DRILL ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
SOAPS and Appeals Drill
SOAPS
1. Speaker: Who is speaking? What credentials does this person have to make his speech
believable?
The speaker is the current (1962) President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. The job of the
presidency alone carries enough weight for people to listen. However, Kennedy does mention
his presidency in lines such as “during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency,” probably
to keep that authority in the minds of his listeners.
2. Occasion: What was the reason for President Kennedy to give this particular speech?
JFK wanted to promote and rouse support for the United States’ new space program. In
paragraph 4 he says, “...I regard the decision to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear
as among the most important decisions made...”
3. Audience: Who is the audience for this speech? What do you know about them?
JFK mentions both Rice University and Houston in his speech, making several references that
would be significant to those people. We know that they care about their university and their city,
and we know they have school spirit! (In paragraph 2, JFK asks several questions including why
climb a mountain, why fly across the Atlantic, and “Why does Rice play Texas?” You can almost
imagine the listeners cheering at this reference.)
Can you figure anything out about their values based on how President Kennedy speaks to
them and what he says?
We know they value their community because JFK makes several references to the good that this
effort will do the locals such as more jobs and a better economy. We know they value education
and the furthering of science because JFK discusses the benefit to the scientific community as
well as the medical community. We know they value the idea of a God and his goodwill since
JFK makes a point to “ask God’s blessing” on his mission.
4. Purpose: What is President Kennedy’s goal?
JFK wants to garner support and excitement for the mission to put a man on the moon. He has
come to Houston specifically to try to get the locals on board since they will be incredibly
important to the entire effort. Evidence for this is right in the first paragraph.
5. Subject: What is the main idea of the speech?
