President Obama Speaks to Students - Laura Black | Library

  
President Obama Speaks to Students
Excerpts from “Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama: Back to School Even” (2009)
From Whitehouse.gov
Now I’ve given you a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox…
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world—and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents, and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed…
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills, and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that—if you quit on school—you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork…
I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble that I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country…
[A]t the end of the day, the circumstances of your life—what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home—that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future…
I expect great things from each of you. So, don’t let us down—don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

1

Part A: Which of these is the main idea of "President Obama Speaks to Students"?

1

Part B: Select TWO pieces of evidence that support the answer to Part A

1

PART A: What means the opposite of the word "neglecting" as it is used in paragraph 9?

1

Which phrase from paragraph 9 best helps the reader understand the meaning of "neglecting"?

Read the excerpted sentences from the text.  Then, match each excerpt to one type of text structure.

1

"We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills, and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country."

1

"I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story."

1

PART A: Which point is the most completely developed in "President Obama Speaks to Students"?

1

PART B: Which paragraphs from the passage most completely develop the poing described in Part A?

Ideas from President Obama's speech
Students are responsible for their own success in school.
President Obama believes he could have been a better student.
The president is hopeful that each student will succeed.

4