Analyze 
Use the basic features.

A Well-Presented Subject: Introducing a Complicated Subject

Printed Page 372

Every year, U.S. News publishes a special edition that ranks colleges and universities across the nation. In his essay, Gladwell does not simply evaluate one year’s ratings; he evaluates the ranking system itself. But he begins by focusing on the ranking system of another magazine, Car and Driver.

ANALYZE & WRITE

Write a paragraph or two analyzing and evaluating how Gladwell introduces U.S. News’s ranking system:

  1. Reread paragraph 1. Why do you think Gladwell begins his evaluation of U.S. News’s college ranking system by discussing the system used by another magazine to rank cars? How is Gladwell’s evaluation of Car and Driver’s ranking system preparing the reader for his evaluation of U.S. News’s ranking system?
  2. Now reread paragraph 2. What cues does Gladwell provide to help readers follow his transition from the ranking system of Car and Driver to that of U.S. News?
  3. What does Gladwell mean when he describes U.S. News’s ranking system as striving to be both comprehensive and heterogeneous?

    Question

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