Question

his majesty’s address on the occasion of taking the oath prescribed by the constitution by king kamehameha iv
king kamehameha iv was the fourth monarch to ascend to the throne of hawaii. this excerpt is from his address on the occasion of taking the oath of office after the death of his predecessor father, king kamehameha iii, in january 1855. the speech refers to three of kamehameha iv’s predecessors: kamehameha i, the first king of the house of kamehameha of the kingdom of hawaii, and his two sons, who became kamehameha ii and kamehameha iii. kamehameha iv was the grandson of kamehameha i, and was adopted by his uncle and declared heir the throne after the death of his father.
“gone are hawaii o keawe! maui o kama! oahu o kuihewa!
“in the providence of god, and by the will of his late majesty kamehameha iii, this day read in your hearing, i have been called to the high and responsible position of the chief ruler of hawaii. i am deeply sensible of the importance and greatness of the great trust committed to my hands, and in the exchange of this trust, i shall abide by the constitution and laws which i have just sworn to maintain and support. it is not my wish to entertain you on the present occasion with pleasant promises in the future, but i trust that the close of my career will show that
select the correct answer.
which statement best describes how the speaker begins his argument in paragraph 2?
a. the speaker begins by summarizing his reasons for wanting to become the next king.
b. the speaker begins with the rhetorical strategy ethos, establishing his credibility as a responsible and honest man.
c. the speaker begins by presenting factual evidence of his ability to rule well and wisely.
d. the speaker begins with an appeal to logic and reason to ensure his audience will believe his evidence.
reset
next

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The speaker doesn't summarize reasons for wanting to be king; instead, they talk about their position and trust. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The speaker uses ethos (appeal to credibility) by referencing their position (Chief Ruler, trust from predecessors, etc.) to establish themselves as responsible and worthy. This matches as they build credibility.
• Option C: The speaker doesn't present factual evidence of ruling ability (like past deeds), but rather their position and trust. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The appeal is to ethos (credibility) more than logic/reason. Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. The speaker begins with the rhetorical strategy ethos, establishing his credibility as a responsible and honest man.