English Resource Booklet 2 - Animal Aid

Lesson 5: Stop Press!Resource 18aBeing persuasiveRead the first paragraph of article 1, ‘Animal testing is a disaster’, up to ‘...health by the researchers’ and thenanswer the questions below.1. Are any of the sentences from Resource 17 here?2. Why do you think the sentence is here, in this very prominent place?3. Look at the by-line at the top of the article. The newspaper has used a number to illustratethe widespread nature of the problem. Why is the number better than:some many lots quite a few?Read the second and third paragraph, up to ‘... 13 children’.4. In the second paragraph the author has used the same number as in the by-line. Why is iteffective to repeat the word?5. The journalist has appealed directly to the reader in paragraph 3. How has he done this andwhat is the effect?6. Persuasive speeches and articles often contain lists of three and contrasting pairs. List thethree examples the journalist gives of drugs that were safe when tested on animals butproved dangerous to humans. Write the examples in a table like the one below:Drug Animal (if specified) Effect on humansand effect7. Journalists make choices about their writing to create the greatest impact. Look again atyour table and decide why the writer has put the list in this particular order.Writing TaskThis article is from the Guardian newspaper. The Guardian tends to be read by young (25-44) affluentprofessionals. Imagine you have to give similar views to those expressed in the report but in a 100 wordarticle for your school magazine. Use the following steps to success:1. Start by writing the main point that you wish to convey (get across).2. Now list three reasons why animal experimentation is wrong.3. Decide on a headline which will appeal to your audience.4. Write down an attention-grabbing opening sentence.5. Use your three reasons to write three short paragraphs.6. Look again at your main point and use it to write the conclusion to your article.37