Read the excerpt: 'The authors argue that education benefits society, yet funding remains inadequate.' What rhetorical strategy is being used?

Read the excerpt: 'The authors argue that education benefits society, yet funding remains inadequate.' What rhetorical strategy is being used?

• A. Appeal to authority
• B. Juxtaposition of benefit and underfunding to highlight a contradiction
• C. Logical proof
• D. Ethical appeal

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how writers show contrasting ideas to highlight a contradiction. In the excerpt, the author pairs a positive claim—that education benefits society—with a negative reality—that funding remains inadequate. By putting these opposing statements next to each other, the writer draws attention to the mismatch between value and support. This contrast makes the inconsistency obvious and persuasive: if education is beneficial, why isn’t funding keeping pace or given adequately? This works better than appeals to authority, strict logical proof, or ethical appeals because it doesn’t rely on experts, step-by-step logical validation, or moral arguments. Instead, it uses the situation itself—the benefit present without corresponding funding—to make a persuasive point.

The main idea being tested is how writers show contrasting ideas to highlight a contradiction. In the excerpt, the author pairs a positive claim—that education benefits society—with a negative reality—that funding remains inadequate. By putting these opposing statements next to each other, the writer draws attention to the mismatch between value and support. This contrast makes the inconsistency obvious and persuasive: if education is beneficial, why isn’t funding keeping pace or given adequately?

This works better than appeals to authority, strict logical proof, or ethical appeals because it doesn’t rely on experts, step-by-step logical validation, or moral arguments. Instead, it uses the situation itself—the benefit present without corresponding funding—to make a persuasive point.