Optional EOC Part A Practice - Suggested time - 30 minutes - Directions - Read and answer three questions

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver

Optional EOC Part A practice focuses on reading two passages and answering three questions about argument structure and evidence. Students must identify the author’s argument, main idea, or thesis; explain the reasoning by tracing claims and the connections among them; and evaluate how effectively the evidence supports those claims. The passages include a discussion titled “We Shouldn’t Have First Ladies,” examining the First Spouse role and the expectations placed on presidential spouses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Optional EOC Part A Practice

Suggested time

Directions

Questions 1-3

Name: Date: Optional EOC Part A Practice Part A Suggested time – 30 minutes Directions: Read the two passages below and then respond to the following three questions. 1. Identify the author’s argument, main idea, or thesis. 2. Explain the author’s line of reasoning by identifying the claims used to build the argument and the connections between them. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support the claims made in the argument. From “We Shouldn’t Have First Ladies” by Keli Goff (The Daily Beast, October 25, 2015)1 The daughters and wives of 2016’s presidential aspirants are already having a rough time. Melania Trump, Columba Bush, Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump have all been subjects of recent profiles, not all of them particularly flattering. Chelsea Clinton, for example, has been called “entitled” while Melania Trump is referred to as a “trophy wife”. The profiles explored what role these women will play on the campaign trail and – should their loved ones be elected – in the White House. (There is already speculation that Chelsea Clinton would step in to fill a traditional “First Lady” role in a Hillary Clinton presidency.) But here’s a rash thought: why should these women play any role in campaigns and why should we be expect them to? As America faces the prospect of possibly electing its first woman president, now seems as good a time as any to ask a question: Is it time to do away with the traditional First Spouse role in the White House? Most people would find it inappropriate, in the year 2015, to explicitly tell any woman that she is expected to spend most of her life supporting her husband’s career goals full-time. Yet we continue to do that for the spouses of politicians who seek the presidency. But of course the thinking goes that, in America at least, if I elect a person president, I’m electing his spouse by default to represent our country as well. Therefore we should have just as much right to scrutinize him or her, or their kids, just as we do the candidate. In an email, Katherine Jellison, who is chairperson of the Department of History at Ohio University and an expert on first ladies, explained that what we expect from the wives of presidents has evolved drastically over the last century, particularly with the evolution of mass media--first radio in the time of Eleanor Roosevelt, then television, and today the Internet. But Jellison also noted that as mass media evolved, so did women’s place in society. “The public no longer expects a first lady to merely wear a pretty dress and look adoringly at her husband,” she explained.“She is supposed to provide at least some commentary on current events and to adopt and advance selected public service projects.” Of course any independent woman who marries aman who decides to pursue public service may wonder why should she have to do either. And I wonder that myself. In other countries, like the UK, the spouses of political leaders aren’t expected to play the same kind of role as their American counterparts. Cherie Blair, for example, maintained an impressive career in law and academia while Tony Blair was Prime Minister. But part of why she was able to do so is because she was dealing with a different set of expectations. The reason? Because many of the duties filled by our First Lady here are filled by members of the royal family there. Think for a moment: how many of you know what Kate Middleton looks like? But how many of you know what Samantha Cameron, the wife of the Prime Minister David Cameron, looks like? Thanks to their royal counterparts, spouses of high-ranking elected officials in other countries are often free to live the lives they choose, often somewhat under the radar, because someone else is handling the smiling, waving, dinner hosting, ribbon-cuttings--and all of the subsequent scrutiny that comes with it. I am obviously not suggesting America become a monarchy. But I am sugge

FAQs

What is the suggested time for this Optional EOC Part A practice?

The suggested time is 30 minutes.

What should you do to answer Question 1?

Identify the author’s argument, main idea, or thesis.

How should you approach Question 3?

Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support the claims in the argument.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver