The prayer behind "I Will Wait"

To view Mumford & Son's "I Will Wait" visit this link.

Alternative folk music has made a comeback in the past few years, adding many new bands and artists to the music scene. With the addition of this genre to stations playing the more popular Top 40 hits, the tone of radio stations has changed, adding a diversity of messages that is much more personal. Mumford & Son’s song “I Will Wait” is an example of this. By adding this band to radio stations and helping expand the music base from those with generic Top 40 tastes, they create a larger activity system of listeners and music consumers.

Originating in England, this band brings an emotional, banjo-Folk flare to their alternative style, adding a depth to their music that is absent in a majority of other bands. Knowing that this band does have Christian beliefs led me to wonder if this song contained references to Christianity and the act of prayer. While searching for rhetorical devices and the function they may have had within this song, I found my initial idea to be true. “I Will Wait” is, in its true form, a prayer. Several metaphors are used referencing Christianity, God, and Jesus. As a whole, this song is one big allusion to the act of prayer. Though the word is never specifically mentioned, the story that unfolds through this song represents the journey many Christians face in building a relationship with God—which prayer plays an integral role in.

Because the song is mainstream at this point (due to the success of the musical group), the references I have noticed and chosen to discuss are up for interpretation. The activity systems this song functions within allows for other explanations to take hold. One great quality unique to Mumford & Son’s is their ability to write lyrics with emotions that are universal and that serve each of their listeners individually, yet make their listening experience divinely personal. Stemming from my own Christian beliefs, I have chosen to explain the way Christianity functions within this song and how they lyrics create a context that other believers can relate to and experience as well.

One of the first rhetorical devices used is the apostrophe. When the words “These days of dust” are used, they are referencing the hard times of struggle people may be facing in today’s world. Instead of outwardly referencing struggles and hardships, they use “dust,” which has the ability to collect and cause bigger issues later on. This is a great representation of how many small struggles are capable of causing much larger problems. Many times, a person will turn to Christianity because of the struggles they face—showing how, like dust, the accumulation of turmoil can lead to a rebirth, such as the one prayer and Christianity can lead to.

The next phrase “Which we’ve known / Will blow away with this new sun” references the forgiveness accompanied by the “new sun,” which in this context, represents Jesus Christ. The backbone of the Christian faith is the forgiveness of sins associated with believing in this new “sun,” as Jesus’s function within Christianity is the Savior, the one who saves all human beings.

A metaphor is being used in the phrase “But I'll kneel down wait for now /

And I'll kneel down” which represents prayer and reliance on God, needing His comfort and strength. The repetition of this phrase also references prayer, as it is common for a person to kneel when they are praying.

The phrase beginning with “So break my step / And relent / You forgave and I won’t forget” contains anaphora. The word “so” is used at the beginning of multiple phrases and emphasizes the result of something, which in the case of the song, may be the struggles associated with being a Christian. In the context of this song the possible function of the word is emphasizing that the speaker is in need of a Savior, is in need of the forgiveness given freely by Jesus. For many Christians, the process of finding and growing faith really does change the life a person is living, which may mean turning away from things that have caused past pain. By bringing God into a life, stopping these habits will “break” their step and allow them to be forgiven by Jesus. Since forgiveness is such an important part of the Christian faith, remembering this promise is essential.

As a whole, the first half of this song (verses one and two) establishes the desire to be Christians and walk with God, to have forgiveness of sins. The second half of this song, beginning at line 23, appears to be the result of that decision—as if they are stating how this decision has impacted their lives. This idea comes through because of their use of metabasis, which is stating what has been said or what will follow, the latter being what I believe to be taking place. When they say “So I’ll be bold / As well as strong / And use my head alongside my heart” the speaker is telling how they plan to live their life, how their newfound faith has altered their being. The story is progressing and as they continue to use these rhetorical devices, they open up new degrees of storytelling. The song becomes much more personal as they invite their listeners into the faith they experience. Because Christians sometimes face adversity as a result of their beliefs, the degree of strength one must have is very real and relevant for discussion in this song.

Continuing the discussion of the second half of the song, the phrase “And use my head alongside my heart” is a metaphor for the change of heart associated with being Christian. Though this is not true of all non-believers, many people in today’s world do not always think with their heart, but only their minds—they choose logic over faith. Many new Christians will experience a change of heart and perspective, which will often lead to an adjustment in thinking. Things that were once important to them may not be, which is why this line is a pivotal part of this song. It’s as if the speaker recognizes that if they are to stay true to their faith, they must use their heart to direct them and follow Gods will instead of using only their head as a means of decisiveness.

The rest of this verse also discusses the struggle of the Christian journey and is a prayer for remaining on the journey and being steadfast in belief. “So tame my flesh / And fix my eyes / That tethered mind free from the lies” represents breaking away from the worldly desires and ideas that may have once overcome their lives. Christians are bound to, at some point during their faith journey, question their beliefs and wonder if this path is right for them. They use the word “tethered” because it emphasizes a strong connection to their faith, to making it a stronghold of their lives.

The lines following this verse directly allude to the idea of prayer, as it states:

“But I’ll kneel down / Wait for Now / I’ll kneel down / Know my ground / Raise my hands / Paint my spirit gold / And bow my head / Keep my heart slow.” Without using the word prayer specifically, they paint their listeners a picture that they, without any similar belief system, would be able to recognize and relate to.

In general, the repetitive nature of the chorus, using the phrase “I will wait,” emphasizes the deep need and desire for saving. The repetition shows the importance these words have and their willingness to be patient and wait for the comfort they so yearn for to rest upon them. The lyrics “I will wait” may also reference the second coming of Christ because many Christians see this day as something to look forward to, as it is a representation of entering Heaven—the pinnacle of salvation.

Though each individual’s journey within this world is different, many human beings can relate to the desire for an understanding or comfort of a being higher than themselves. Not everyone will turn to Christianity for that, but the idea of receiving comfort from another person is a fairly universal desire. Though I believe this song touches on the specific act of prayer, Mumford & Son’s lyrics resonate well with music-lovers because they speak of innate human needs, such as love and comfort. It is not necessary for a person to have Christian beliefs in order to appreciate the message of the song.

The rhetorical devices used in this song play a very significant role in how the lyrics of this song are represented to the listener. One of the reason’s Mumford & Son’s has created a strong following is because of the story component their music brings. Though there is not necessarily an obvious sacred connection to their music, those who share a similar system of belief are able to appreciate the meaning it endures. Those who may not have the same beliefs, but still enjoy Mumford & Son’s music, do so because of the honesty that shines through in the lyrics and tone Mumford & Son’s allows. 

--Melissa Moss

British Brilliance: The Hidden Art of Mumford & Sons

With their overflowing harmonies, signature clawhammer banjo, and emotionally gripping lyrics, British indie folk-rock band Mumford & Sons have established themselves as a quartet of multi-million selling troubadours, burgeoning to platinum success with their 2010 debut album, Sigh No More. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s romantic play Much Ado about Nothing, the album is rich with profound messages of love, loss, and of the hope and faith that persist within; with this, the album’s second song, “The Cave,” explores such emotions through a series of lyrics laden with layered meanings—hidden beneath a surface of beautiful voices and sound. Though the song seems to explore some sort of broken relationship and internal struggle from the individual, looking to its rhetorical devices allows us to reveal the true profundity of the words and discover how the song works within certain contexts. For the scope of this article, I will be focusing on how the language within “The Cave” serves as a sort of a philosophical testament to the hope and faith that endure through Christian and theological beliefs—and how such language functions within the context of listeners with similar values.

With this focus, it is interesting to first note the overarching philosophical and theological inspirations the song carries through its rich language and imagery. The song’s title, “The Cave,” may hold philosophical relevance by referencing Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, in which a group of lifelong prisoners—bound to the walls of a cave—gaze at shadows projected on the cave wall, with the aid of a fire; these cast shadows were the prisoners’ closest view of reality. The allegory, then, is an attempt to explain how the philosopher, the perceptive individual, must be freed from the cave—must “come out of your cave,” as seen in the ninth verse—in order to perceive not the shadow forms, but the true form of reality. With this inspiration, the language within key verses of the song serves to work within these philosophical and theological contexts.

To delve into the rhetorical devices used to perpetuate these Christian tones, let’s look at the sixth verse in the song:

"So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears”

This verse is filled with several significant rhetorical devices, all of which serve greater Biblical meaning; first, note the amount of parallelism, as in “tie me to a post and block my ears,” and “widows and orphans.” Apostrophe is used as well, as the individual addresses someone and asks to be “tied to a post” and have his or her ears blocked. The repetition of “despite” within the phrase also perpetuates a persistent and motivated tone, as well as the mostly consistent end-rhyme. Further, there is a considerable amount of alliteration with “t” sounds in “tie” and “tears” as well as the forceful “f” sounds in “faults” and “fears” to acknowledge the individual’s sins, all which heighten the profound emotion of the verse.

In addition to the verse’s purposeful rhetorical devices, note how the verse serves as an extended metaphor and an allusion, holding deeper Biblical meaning. Look first to the lines: “I can see widows and orphans through my tears” and “I know my call despite my faults.” These lines heighten the individual’s struggle with a relationship (romantic or biblical) by making an allusion to the book of James, a servant of God; it references a verse on the meaning of true religion, for caring for the “widow and the fatherless” is an overarching theme in the Old Testament. The phrase “tie me to a post” also refers to Jesus being tied and nailed to the cross. In relation to this verse, let’s look to the tenth verse in the song, which continues the metaphor and allusion:

“So make your siren’s call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say”

In terms of rhetorical devices, the colloquial language continues in brilliant form, and functions within the context of listeners with similar philosophical and theological beliefs. Alliteration persists, with the use of ‘s’ sounds in “so,” “siren’s,” and “sing” as well as ‘h’ sounds with “hear” and “have” to further the persistent tone. The structure of each line is also very succinct and determined, as with the use of apostrophe in the first line; the individual is almost demanding things from the other voice.

With these devices, we can explore their extended meanings and contexts the language works in. As addressed above, the line: “So tie me to a post and block my ears,” as well as the above verse, is an allusion to Homer’s Greek epic poem, Odyssey. The piece describes the experience Odysseus and his sailors held when they approached the land of the Sirens—creatures portrayed as seductresses who lured sailors to crash their boats with their enchanting music and voices. The poem also says how the men on the boat blocked their ears with wax to avoid such poisonous sound. Perfectly fitting to the song, the individual remains hopeful and faithful, demanding to “block [his] ears” and refusing to answer to their call. In a greater sense, then, the individual refrains from succumbing to evil by using hope and faith to persist through pain.

These hidden, underlying meanings are seen through most every line in this song, with each thoughtful verse functioning in the context of listeners with an affinity for philosophical, theological, or Christian beliefs. With these specific undertones, though, the song achieves more universal meaning—this is precisely why the band resonates with a vast range of listeners. With the addressed phrases, though, it is important to note that creative styles are subjective. Will each listener, Christian or otherwise, come to different conclusions on the lyrics? Sure. Though the lyrics hold religious undertones, there are greater philosophical meanings that rise as well; with this, activity systems outside of listeners with religious values are made possible, and each listener can apply their experiences with those in the song. Through the stunning layered language in the song, “The Cave” proves to be far more than music.

By: Jessica Haugen


To view a performance of “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons, click here. 

Holy Fox News! The plain truth behind the Fox News agenda

Today’s world has become very sensitive to political and religious groups in the spotlight within the academic setting. One example of this is the LSU “Painted Posse,” a group of Christian LSU students who paint their bodies in school colors and the symbol of the cross for home game events. In order to avoid any conflict with other students, the university administration photoshopped the crosses off each member’s shoulder before sending out a newsletter the photo was on. Though only one member of the group was offended by this act, this news article was featured on Fox News main web page, with the headline “Holy Photoshop! LSU erased Christian football fans’ crosses,” with a large, eye-catching image that first shows their chests with the cross, and then, when you press an arrow to the right, transitions to the photoshopped version (both photos shown below).

  

Fox News is known as a more conservative news outlet. By taking a more conservative stance on many issues, Fox News attracts a large crowd of Christian and other religious groups that resonate with similar political beliefs. Fox News knows who their readers are and, as a result, are able to publish stories with a greater religious context because it is important to their readers. Their audience is also more sensitive to issues like religious freedom, making this article a fitting addition to their website.

The author of the article is clearly targeting a Christian based readership. With the obvious reference to the “Painted Posse’s” Christian beliefs and specific removal of the cross from their chest, the author sets the university administration’s opposition to religious connotations within their university setting as the main conflict. The author states that the photo of the Posse was “otherwise untouched,” which emphasizes that the photo was not otherwise altered and that the crosses were targeted specifically. The author also makes it clear that this cross represents the Christian religion and is not just a generic symbol by quoting Posse member Cameron Cooke saying “The cross painting is important to me because it represents who I am as a Christ follower.” By doing so, he creates a clear “victim” and makes one group in particular, Christians, feel attacked or acted against.

The main argument between both activity systems (the LSU “Painted Posse” and LSU Administration) is the role the symbol of the cross plays in school spirit. With the use of clear, active language, the journalist portrays this point by minimal use of jargon or technical terms related to the academic world. Because of the increase in number of people receiving a college degree, many people have a general understanding of the university system. As Americans, a majority of people also understand a person’s right to free speech and religion. With the understanding of this right, audience members see the conflict the writer is trying to portray. Though I think the contents of this article are important, the real argument is being fought by the writer and not the “Painted Posse”--as only one member of that group was actually upset the crosses were removed, leaving me to question the reasoning behind making this story such a pointed part of Fox News’ main headlines.

When the writer uses direct quotes from both LSU Administration and members of the “Painted Posse,” the aim is to simply report the facts and not try to summarize them on their behalf. By directly quoting, confusion is offset and the tone of the article is very conversational. Fox News’ readers should feel fairly confident they are receiving the full story--as they already choose to go to this site for information. The journalist also uses common language that is accessible for a wide range of readers, which is confirmed because of the high reading ease, which is 69.5. The average readability score is 8.1 -- a score that shows nearly any person with an education of eighth grade or above would be perfectly capable of reading and understanding this article.

The language chosen by the author also adds emphasis to the issue discussed in the article. For example, when the author writes “A group of Louisiana State University football fans whose admiration for the Tigers is second only to their love for Jesus is outraged,” they are essentially saying that the group as a whole was very upset. The word “outraged” has a connotation attached to it, one that suggests outward displays of anger, which is just not accurate in this context. In the third paragraph of the article, the author quotes a member of the Painted Posse as being “a bit surprised,” which is quite far from being “outraged.” Also, by using the words “Holy Photoshop” in the title of the article, the author gives readers--and those who just browse the title--the sense that the entirety of the photo was altered, not just a small portion of it.

Some of the sentence combining skills used by the author also enhances his message and the ideas he is promoting. By using an appositive in this article, the writer is aiming to be more detailed in a concise way. Because it all comes in one sentence, readers are not interrupted or thrown off by an abrupt end of sentence, but they are given a sentence with good flow that is easily understood. This is not the only time the author uses appositive in their writing, as I think it really does enhance the clarity of the message they are trying to get across. Each additional piece of information inserted into each sentence gives more detail about the specific pieces of information in the sentence. The author could have chosen to write shorter sentences with each piece of information, but by including more information into each sentence, using this sentence combining strategy, the writer creates a more readable sentence.

Though LSU is responsible for removing the crosses, only one member of the “Painted Posse” was actually upset. If I had not read the entire article, I probably would have thought several people were mad and that some type of controversy surrounded this event. By the time I had finished the article I knew that was not the case and was somewhat confused about why this article was featured as headline news. The plain language used by the author of this article shows Fox News’s awareness of their audience and the ideals they feel comfortable pursuing. By using many of these plain writing styles and choosing to write about this topic, Fox News makes their readers feel that this media outlet is relevant and important to their lifestyle. They feel they can trust this source. Though there is wealth to this method, those who have contrasting beliefs will likely grasp the full intent of this article not feel the same.

--Melissa Moss

How to Keep Your Food Safe When Sandy and Its Friends Come

 

Superstorm Sandy had a severe impact to the East Coast at the end of October. It has become the second largest storm in recordkeeping. All the residents are urgent to prepare and face the difficulties they will meet, including power cuts, water cuts, food shortages and housing damages. Once the house is out of power and the tap water cut, the refrigerator won’t work and residents won’t have the running water to drink and use. When the severe storm affects all the former problems, making sure your food is safe and clean is vital due to the fact that unsafe food will cause diarrhea, even death.

In this fatal moment, A Consumer’s Guide To Food Safety: Severe Storms And Hurricanes will be very helpful for the residents who live in the disaster area. This document is published on the website of the United States Department of Agriculture. To be more specific, it is written by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. Generally speaking, the document provides various ways to determine if the food is safe and how to keep food safe. The audience will be social workers and general residents. From social workers’ perspective, they want to provide this guide to the public, to remind them be aware of the food safety in severe weather.  General residents would like to read and print it out in case of they need it someday. In an overview of the guide, the intention of the guide is good for the audience, but it is not in a user-friendly format. However, will people remember most tips from the guide when they need to? In this article, I will argue how the simple tips seem to omit information within guides.

As a government document, especially a guide to the public, this guide should be easily accessed by the public. The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease is 57.4; Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is 9.6; Average Grade Level is 10.1; 17.3 words per sentence. According to the statistics, this guide seems easy to understand. Most parts of this article are accessible and clear. It is likely to be perceived as “credible” to the public, because it is published by a government department.

The content from this guide is definitely unbiased because there isn’t a specific position for the authors. The document doesn’t seem “dumbed down” or potentially insulting, but it seems dry. Some parts sound like doing an experiment in labs. Moreover, almost all the sentences start with a verb, and they read like commands.

The tone is neutral at most times, except “Knowing how to determine if food is safe and how to keep food safe will help minimize the potential loss of food and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.” It sounds a little serious, and evokes the public to pay attention to their food safety during an emergency. However, the serious tone contrasts with the simplistic information. Readers may feel that the guide has a vital core but with an unimportant appearance. Then they will question whether the information is really important to them or not.

At the beginning of the guide, it shows that “This Consumer’s Guide will help you make the right decisions for keeping your family safe during an emergency.” This sentence uses metabasis and states the major theory of the piece. Coming straight to the main point helps the audience know what they are exactly going to read. It is an effective communication within vast public safety guides.

Another effective rhetorical device in this guide is using parallelism “STEPS TO FOLLOW TO PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE WEATHER EMERGENCY: Make sure the freezer... Freeze containers... Freeze refrigerated items... Plan ahead ...Store food... Have coolers...Group food...” All the steps start with a verb and use the second person point of view. In front of each step, the writer uses a bullet to separate each sentence, which helps the reader read this part easily.

However, it is oversimplifying the subject matter in some parts. “Group food together in the freezer—this helps the food stay cold longer.” How does one group food? How does one classify the food and according to what? Maybe some people would think everyone should have the common sense of how to divide food in different categories, but the tone of the whole guide will be distinct. For instance, in the last step of “Steps to follow during and after the weather emergency”, “Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items after 4 hours without power.” In this example, the author gives what kinds of food are perishable. In this case, the author is oversimplifying some information, but he also provides more details.

Furthermore, providing specific information is helpful for the audience. Nevertheless, how many readers will remember the exact information? Here is the example of how to disinfect the water in using household bleach, “Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.” This step sounds like doing a science experiment. When the hurricane comes and the power is off, people cannot use their computer to check this pdf unless they print it beforehand. How many readers will remember what the dosage of bleach is? And how long does the water need to stand?  Moreover, even though they remember all the steps, they might not have the tools to measure the bleach. These details don’t bring about the author’s purpose. If the author can explain this step in a vivid and easy way, the audience will remember it so they can measure the bleach without difficulties.

To sum up, the whole guide is useful for the public, even though some parts are oversimplifying while other parts are complicating. Thus, the tone between different sections is distinct. If the readers print it out and they don’t need to remember all the tips, they will feel easy to use this guide. Nevertheless, if the audience doesn’t keep a copy when they need to use, they will feel struggle with recalling those unfriendly user format guidelines.

--Xiaoqi Wu

Source:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/pdf/severe_storms_and_hurricanes_guide.pdf

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/apocalypse-sandy-hurricane-photos-worthy-of-a-dystopian-film

The Average Assumption

The Average Assumption

The average American tends to read at a 7th grade level, which includes books, such as The Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer, the Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling, and the popular Hunger Game series, by Suzanne Collins. These books were written for the grade levels of teenagers and young adults; however, they bring in readers from every age.  Since these books were written at the average reading level, many people found them to be an easy read. This also includes writing for articles, handbooks, and other written pieces. I wanted to find a piece that would be around the same level as the books above, so I went to CDC.gov, which is a website dedicated to informing the public about disease control and prevention.  This website collaborates to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health. It was written at a reading level many can understand to attract people of any reading level to its website. With that in mind, I chose a simple article from the website called, “Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight.”

This page was made to inform people to make the right eating choices for the prevention and control of weight. It lists ways of changing your lifestyle eating habits in an easy to read format.  Currently, webpages like this one litter the internet, and the author wrote it in a simple writing style, often called plain style.  Plain style is an easy-to-read writing style that includes small words, fewer ideas per sentence, and it’s usually less ambiguous.  For example the author chose to write these sentences simply, “A healthy lifestyle involves many choices,” or “A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes a variety of foods you may not have considered.” These sentences are simple, and they don’t use any sentence combining strategies.  There are only a few instances of coordination and subordination in this article.  Because of the lack of large words and sentence combining strategies readabilityscore.com found this website to be written at a 7.4 reading level, along with the rest of the CDC.gov. 

            There are mainly two types of activity systems looking at this webpage: people who are researching how to eat healthier and the staff who had to write this page.  The researchers will want to know basic information about healthy food choices, and how to make them.  The writers wrote this page because of the motto CDC.gov holds, which is to inform the public of the prevention and control of diseases.  They want to inform everyone on how to eat healthier for a healthy weight.  There are many more activity systems, but I will be looking at how these two may interpret the webpage.

              The people reading this webpage may need to get a lot of information about which foods to eat, how much to eat, and what specific fats they should stay away from.  The article starts out by defining what a healthy eating plan is.  They use the source Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, which is a dietary guideline that provides authoritative advice about consuming fewer calories and making informed food choices. Based on the article topic, this source was a good choice, and the article writes out the guidelines in a listed format.  After the guidelines, the article focuses on new foods you can eat.  This site does well in helping you realize healthy eating isn't the end of eating foods you love. 

This article informs you what is healthy to eat, but since the CDC.gov writes to inform the general public, they should include more information that may be general knowledge but not everyone knows.  The author assumes we know things such as average calorie intake, what foods are low in certain fats, how many servings to eat of certain food groups, and other basic health information. Considering this is written at a 7th grade level, there should be more information many people would think common knowledge but many people forget.  If this website is so focused on teaching the people about healthy food choices, they need to inform them on the basics often learned early on in health classes.

            First off, one bullet point tells you to eat things “low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars,” but what are the amounts we should stay away from?  How do I figure out what is low? Second, most people don’t even know the difference between a fruit and a vegetable.  They also don’t include the amount of servings to eat per day. Some people may be mistaking a tomato for a vegetable and could easily be eating too many vegetables per day and not enough fruit.   Third CDC.gov writes, “Do I have to give up my favorite comfort food? No! Healthy eating is all about balance. You can enjoy your favorite foods even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while and balance them out with healthier foods and more physical activity."  From my own experience, if you are eating unhealthy then you should stay away from unhealthy foods, so you don’t binge eat.  I know if I give up my favorite snack, chips and salsa, I go crazy the next time I eat it.  I eat about a half a bag of tortilla chips and half a jar of salsa. I know the website is trying to make healthy eating seem easy, but the truth is it isn't always easy.  Finally, they say “stay within your daily calorie needs.”  What are basic calorie needs?  Everyone is different and many people who are active need to take in at least 2,000 calories a day.  How are we supposed to know that basic information without the author telling us? 

            CDC.gov is a website dedicated to informing people and communities about basic health and healthy lifestyle choices.  The webpage I chose to evaluate and critique did well in staying within the plain writing style and 7th grade reading level.  They let people understand their ideas.  The article showed you it isn't scary to change your food eating habits. The format and writing is easy to understand, but the author could have gone into more detail about certain aspects of healthy eating.  They could assume the author knew less about the subject to compensate for the questions that may arise when reading this article.  CDC’s motto is to inform, and they should try to include the basic health choices to coincide with their motto, the plain style, and a 7th grade reading level.

by Katie Mickschl

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html