1 Newton Minow (1926— ) was appointed by President John Kennedy as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the agency responsible for regulating the use of the public airwaves. On May 9, 1961, he spoke to 2,000 members of the National Association of Broadcasters and told them that the daily fare on television was "a vast wasteland." Minow's indictment of commercial television launched a national debate about the quality of programming. After Minow's speech, the television critic for The New York Times wrote: "Tonight some broadcasters were trying to find dark explanations for Mr. Minow's attitude. In this matter the viewer possibly can be a little helpful; Mr. Minow has been watching television."
Which BEST describes the purpose of the first section of this passage?
A) It provides a counter-argument, so the reader can better comprehend the speech.
B) It creates a conversational tone, so the reader can better understand the speech.
C) It provides background information for context, so the reader can better understand the speech.
D) It creates a question and answer format, so the reader will know what style to expect from the rest of the passage.
C?
C) It provides background information for context, so the reader can better understand the speech.
The first section of the passage provides important background information about Newton Minow, his role as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and the purpose of his speech. This information helps set the stage for understanding Minow's critique of commercial television and the subsequent national debate that ensued. Therefore, option C is the best description of the purpose of the first section of the passage.