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, 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? options: \handing them a death sentence\, \abrogates international conventions we have signed\, \turned its back on the 52,000 children\, \legitimate refugees\

Explanation:

To determine which phrase has strong connotations describing the seriousness of the situation, we analyze each option:

• "handing them a death sentence": This phrase metaphorically implies that sending children away is equivalent to condemning them to death, carrying a very strong and serious connotation about the gravity of the action.
• "abrogates international conventions we have signed": While abrogating conventions is serious, the phrase itself is more about violating agreements than directly emphasizing the human impact/seriousness of the situation for the children.
• "turned its back on the 52,000 children": This describes neglect, but "handing them a death sentence" is more intense in conveying the severity of the outcome.
• "legitimate refugees": This is a descriptive term for the children, not a phrase emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

Answer:

handing them a death sentence