5) According to the passage, the most effective tool of persuasion is
A. ethos, because you cannot persuade an audience that does not trust you
B. logos, because it can also be used to build ethos
C. a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos
D. pathos, because human beings are most easily persuaded by emotion
5) C
Question Type: Detail
In the final paragraph, the author writes: “Although ethos, pathos, and logos all have their strengths, they are often most effective when they are used together. Indeed, most speakers use a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade their audiences.” Here, the author tells us that ethos, pathos, and logos each have their own advantages. None of them is more useful than the other. The author then claims that they are “most effective when they are used together.” In other words, a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos is the most effective tool of persuasion. Therefore (C) is correct. Although paragraph 2 does state that “if an audience cannot trust you, you will not be able to persuade them,” the author never states that ethos is the most effective tool of persuasion. Therefore (A) is incorrect. Although paragraph 4 does state that “use of logos can also increase a speaker’s ethos,” the author never states that logos is the most effective tool of persuasion. Therefore (B) is incorrect. The passage never says that human beings are most easily persuaded by emotion or that pathos is the most effective tool of persuasion. Therefore (D) is incorrect.