Question

mahatma gandhi once said, \the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.\ municipal officials who propose cutting funding for animal shelters and agencies should be ashamed. many such facilities struggle to provide care for the countless needy cats, dogs, and other vulnerable animals. yet heartless government officials often zealously cut that funding from municipal budgets in favor of less urgent programs. it is time that government officials demonstrate greater decency and provide those urgent funds. if our officials do not, then they must be replaced by people more in the mold of gandhi.

which of the following is true of the argument made by the author in the passage?

1 it is likely to alienate readers who are not familiar with mahatma gandhi and his accomplishments.

2 it clarifies the issue by focusing readers attention on the most important aspects of municipal spending.

3 it attacks the character of decision makers rather than analyzing specific issues related to municipal spending.

Explanation:

• Option 1: The passage's argument doesn't rely on readers knowing Gandhi's accomplishments—its use of Gandhi's quote is to emphasize a moral point, not to alienate those unfamiliar with him. So this is false.
• Option 2: The argument doesn't clarify the issue by focusing on important aspects of municipal spending. Instead of analyzing spending details (like budget allocations, needs assessments), it focuses on criticizing officials' character. So this is false.
• Option 3: The author calls officials "heartless" and says they "should be ashamed" and should be replaced, attacking their character rather than analyzing specific municipal spending issues (like why cuts happen, alternative funding sources). This matches the argument's approach.

Answer:

1. It attacks the character of decision makers rather than analyzing specific issues related to municipal spending.