AP English Language and Composition Quiz
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RHETORICAL SITUATION: WRITING
Question 1 of 12
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Read the student-written argumentative passage and answer the question.
The city should stop pretending that leaf blowers are harmless "yard tools" and finally restrict gas-powered blowers during early morning hours. People deserve to sleep without being subjected to a 7 a.m. noise assault that sounds like a jet engine trapped in a trash can. And it's not only annoying—it's pollution. Gas blowers emit a mix of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, and some models have emissions comparable to driving a car for dozens of miles. If we're serious about air quality, we can't ignore the small engines just because they're small.
Opponents always say, "But landscapers need them." Sure. And factories "need" smokestacks. Needing something doesn't mean you get to impose it on everyone else at any hour. The city could set a reasonable window—say, no gas blowers before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.—and encourage electric alternatives by offering rebates.
Also, let's be honest: blowers are often used to move leaves from one property to another, which is basically littering with extra steps. Rakes exist. Mulching exists. If your business model collapses without a two-stroke engine, that's not the neighborhood's problem.
We already regulate construction noise. We already regulate idling vehicles. A blower ordinance is consistent with those rules and would improve quality of life immediately.
Given the author's goal of persuading a mixed audience at a city council hearing (residents and landscaping business owners), which aspect is least effective for that audience?
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