Ms. Kemp Recruits Volunteers
As a new ninth grader at my high school, I was sitting in an assembly about volunteerism.The
guest speaker was Ms. Francis Kemp. Today I had an experience worth writing about. I must
admit that I did not have high hopes for the hour. I was sure it was going to be a boring talk
given by a boring speaker. She would probably go on and on about picking up trash along the
road and other jobs that do not really appeal to many kids. I could not have been more wrong.
To my surprise, Ms. Kemp was a lively, funny person who kept the audience interested. She
opened with a joke about one volunteer who tries to outdo another. I won’t even try to retell the
joke because I could never do it justice. So much of the impact depended on her timing and
delivery. The point is that she is very self-aware. She knows that some students take a cynical
attitude toward doing volunteer work. She was able to poke fun at herself and yet come off
seeming wise and clever at the same time.
The hour flew by. She told one anecdote after another. Cleverly, she alternated between
stories that were funny and those that were touching and moving. Overall, she was bright,
amusing, knowledgeable, and had the desired effect. I cannot honestly say that I ran out to
volunteer for a community service project right away, but I am thinking seriously about doing
so.
What was the author's main purpose for writing this passage?
A. to convince students to do volunteer work
B. to tell a funny story about something that occurred in school.
C. to describe the characteristics of an impressive person
D. to explain how students can be useful to their communities.
I honestly feel that it is B - but they all bring up good points. I do not think it is C...please advise.
really? no one got the answer?
i think b
Based on the information provided in the passage, the author's main purpose for writing this passage is not clearly stated. However, we can infer that the author's main purpose is to describe the positive impact of Ms. Kemp's presentation on volunteering and how it changed the author's perspective. The passage focuses on how Ms. Kemp was able to connect with the audience, share engaging stories, and challenge the students' cynicism towards volunteer work.
Therefore, option C - to describe the characteristics of an impressive person - seems to be the most accurate choice among the given options. The passage highlights how Ms. Kemp's lively, funny, and self-aware personality made a strong impression on the author and potentially influenced their thoughts about volunteering.
I agree with you that there are many points brought up about Ms. Kemp and I could just as easily go with C...I have read the story 5 times...I actually think there is more pointing at C than B..
It's either B or C.
Read it over several times and see if you do or don't change your mind.