Question

read the excerpt from \children of the drug wars\. by sending these children away, \you are handing them a death sentence,\ says josé arnulfo ochoa ochoa, an expert in honduras with world vision international, a christian humanitarian aid group. this abrogates international conventions we have signed and undermines our credibility as a humane country. it would be a disgrace if this wealthy nation turned its back on the 52,000 children who have arrived since october, many of them legitimate refugees. which phrase from the excerpt contains words with strong connotations that help describe the seriousness of the situation? ○ \handing them a death sentence\ ○ \abrogates international conventions we have signed\ ○ \turned its back on the 52,000 children\ ○ \legitimate refugees\

Explanation:

• "handing them a death sentence" uses the metaphor of a "death sentence" which has extremely strong negative connotations. A death sentence implies a final, life - ending consequence. In the context of sending children away, it vividly and strongly conveys the idea that this action is extremely serious and likely to have fatal or near - fatal results for the children.
• "abrogates international conventions we have signed" is a serious statement but the connotations are more about a legal and moral breach rather than directly emphasizing the seriousness for the children in as visceral a way as the "death sentence" metaphor.
• "turned its back on the 52,000 children" is a negative action description but the phrase itself does not have the same level of strong, immediate connotation of extreme seriousness as the "death sentence" phrase.
• "legitimate refugees" is more of a factual description of the children's status rather than a phrase that emphasizes the seriousness of the situation through strong connotations.

Answer:

"handing them a death sentence"