Reading and Analysis Drill
Here are some possible answers to the previous questions. Yours may or may not match—these answers
are possible answers, not the only correct ones.
1. The president’s appeals to emotion fill his listeners with a sense of participation in the
“adventure” that is putting a man on the moon. The listeners are not simply listening to a
government official explain why he made a decision; they are made to feel pride, unity, control,
and patriotism. The president’s words make the listener feel as if he, as an American, is brave
for taking this on. The listener feels like a pioneer who is doing what his ancestors before him
did: exploring the unknown. The president’s appeals to logic motivate the listeners to support
the mission because of all the prosperity it will bring their community. First, the president helps
them understand that goals that have seemed as impossible in the past have been accomplished
to quell any doubters. Then, he details all of the wonderful things that will take place in Houston
when the change takes place and for many years to come.2. Had the president been speaking to a Portuguese audience, it is much less likely that they would
have been excited about American patriotism or felt any nostalgia for the American pioneering
heritage. Even if the president had simply been in another state, all of the details about how
Houston will benefit would not have been as effective. What do the residents of Cheyenne,
Wyoming, care about jobs in Houston?3. The tone of this passage is inspiring and determined. The passage begins with the phrase “We
set sail on this new sea,” which conveys the idea of exploration and discovery, connecting the
earliest explorers and founders of America. Although Kennedy acknowledges the uncertainty
surrounding such a venture (exploring space), his tone is confident and self-assured: “I do say
that space can be explored and mastered”; “We choose to go to the moon...and do other things,
not because they are easy, but because they are hard...”; “...we shall make up and move ahead.”
Finally, he ends with a short anecdote about the British explorer George Mallory, who explained
his reasons for climbing Mount Everest as such: “Because it is there.” Kennedy’s words are
infused with an adventurous spirit, a perseverance in the face of challenges, that encapsulates the
philosophical underpinnings of the United States.4. When the president chose to use the word “choose” in the famous line “We choose to go to the
moon,” he was making a wise choice. Or perhaps it was the president’s speechwriter—but
either way, this word is more powerful than had he said something like “We probably should go
to the moon” or “We can try to go to the moon.” The word choose puts the power of choice in
the listener. When people believe they are choosing something (even if a speaker tells them they
are choosing it), they feel empowered. Another example of diction that made the speech
convincing is the president’s use of the word “adventure” in his concluding remarks. In
describing his mission to put a man on the moon as an “adventure” he avoided the negative
doubts of some listeners. “Adventure” is positive and exciting. He could have said “we ask
God’s blessing on the...most expensive decision on which man has embarked” or “on the...
overwhelming task” both of which would leave the listener with a sense of cynicism or
uncertainty. There are lots of great choices for convincing diction in this speech, so if you found
another example, that’s great!