Test students' ability to analyze how rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), diction, and syntax work together to build persuasive arguments in contemporary political speeches. Scope includes short excerpts from recent speeches; tasks require identifying specific appeals and stylistic choices, explaining their effects on intended audiences, assessing speaker credibility and purpose, and evaluating how word choice and sentence structure shape persuasiveness. Appropriate for grades 9–12; analytical short-answer and paragraph responses.