Question

remarks on the signing of the civil rights act
by lyndon b. johnson

on july 2, 1964, president lyndon b. johnson signed into law the civil rights act of 1964. in his speech, johnson pointed to the nations founding principles in the declaration of independence and the constitution as inspiration for his remarks and the new laws significance.

1 my fellow americans, i am about to sign into law the civil rights act of 1964.

select the correct answer.

read paragraph 1.

my fellow americans, i am about to sign into law the civil rights act of 1964.

johnson used the first sentence of his speech to call attention to his ______.

message
claim
purpose
audience

Explanation:

Analyze the first sentence of the speech

Using the Rhetorical Analysis and Rhetorical Purpose Analysis knowledge points, we examine the opening sentence: "My fellow Americans, I am about to sign into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964." The phrase "My fellow Americans" is a direct address.

Identify the rhetorical function of direct address

Using the Rhetorical Purpose Analysis knowledge point, direct address is a rhetorical device used to establish a connection with the listeners. By opening with "My fellow Americans," Johnson explicitly identifies and calls attention to the group of people he is speaking to.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

Using the Rhetorical Analysis knowledge point, we compare the options:

• message: The core lesson or theme.
• claim: The main argument or assertion.
• purpose: The reason for writing or speaking.
• audience: The intended group of listeners or readers.

The greeting "My fellow Americans" directly targets the audience.

Answer:

• message
• claim
• purpose
• audience (Correct answer)