Identify and Describe Exigence
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AP English Language and Composition › Identify and Describe Exigence
Read the following passage embedded in the prompt, then answer the question.
The city keeps calling the new downtown lanes “bike infrastructure,” but what we have is paint that disappears exactly where drivers speed up. Two weeks ago, a cyclist was hit at the intersection by the river—an intersection the transportation department already flagged as “high conflict” in its own memo. In response, officials posted a social media reminder telling riders to “be visible,” as if reflective gear can substitute for protected design. When a plan treats injury as an individual failure rather than a predictable outcome of traffic patterns, it guarantees more memorial rides and fewer commuters willing to pedal. If the city wants people out of cars, it has to build lanes that don’t evaporate at the most dangerous points and then blame the public for not trusting them.
The author is responding to which situation or problem?
the consequence that downtown businesses will lose customers if people stop biking
the general topic of traffic congestion in growing cities
a recent crash and the city’s inadequate, paint-only bike lanes that fail at dangerous intersections
the author’s purpose of encouraging more people to ride bicycles for exercise
Explanation
This question requires identifying and describing the exigence that motivates the author's response. The passage reveals that a recent cyclist crash occurred at an intersection already identified as dangerous, where the city's paint-only bike lanes disappear precisely where protection is most needed. This specific incident and the inadequate infrastructure (choice C) constitute the urgent problem demanding response, not the author's general purposes (choice A) or broad topics about traffic (choice B). Choice D mistakes a potential consequence for the actual exigence. To identify exigence accurately, focus on the specific event or condition that creates urgency for response, particularly when it involves public safety and preventable harm.
Read the following passage and answer the question.
The university’s decision to replace most in-person advising with an AI chatbot was announced as a “student-centered upgrade,” but students learned about it only after the advising office doors were literally locked for renovation. The chatbot can list degree requirements, yet it cannot interpret a transcript with transfer credits, explain how to appeal a failed prerequisite, or notice when a first-generation student is quietly panicking about losing financial aid. Since the change, wait times for the few remaining human appointments have stretched to three weeks—an eternity during add/drop. Administrators point to cost savings, but those savings are being purchased with missed deadlines and preventable withdrawals. Technology can assist advising, but it cannot replace it; the university should restore walk-in hours and use AI only as a supplement, not a gatekeeper.
The passage is motivated primarily by concern about…
The risk that students will withdraw or miss deadlines later in the semester because of advising delays
The university’s recent shift to an AI advising system that reduces access to timely, individualized human support
The author’s intent to argue that human relationships matter more than machines
The general trend of universities adopting new technologies to modernize student services
Explanation
This question tests the skill of identifying and describing exigence in a rhetorical situation, which is the urgent issue or problem that prompts the author to write. The passage is motivated by the university's recent shift to an AI advising system, which locked advising office doors and reduced human support, leading to long wait times and inadequate help for complex student needs. This change, announced as an upgrade but implemented without notice, prioritizes cost savings over personalized guidance, risking missed deadlines and student withdrawals. The author argues for restoring human advising and using AI only as a supplement to ensure equitable access. Choice A, a common distractor, confuses the exigence with a general trend in technology adoption, but it ignores the specific, disruptive implementation at this university as the prompting concern. For analyzing exigence, focus on the text's details about a particular, recent change or problem rather than overarching trends or hypothetical risks.
Read the following passage and answer the question.
Our state’s new “anti-distraction” law was supposed to keep drivers off their phones, but the enforcement pattern tells another story. In the first month, 71% of citations were written in three predominantly Black neighborhoods, even though crash data show no corresponding concentration of phone-related accidents there. Officers can stop a driver for “suspected device use,” a standard so vague that it invites pretext. Meanwhile, the law does little to address the most common causes of serious collisions on our highways: speeding and impaired driving. Safety policy should be measured by lives saved, not by tickets issued. If lawmakers want a law that protects everyone, they should narrow the stop criteria, require data transparency by precinct, and pair any phone restrictions with proven interventions like speed-calming design and sobriety checkpoints.
The exigence prompting the passage is…
The author’s purpose of arguing that all laws should be fair and evidence-based
The enactment and early enforcement of a new anti-distraction law that appears to enable disproportionate, potentially pretextual policing without clear safety benefits
The consequence that communities may lose trust in police if ticketing continues at current rates
The background condition that distracted driving is a problem nationwide
Explanation
This question tests the skill of identifying and describing exigence in a rhetorical situation, which is the urgent issue or problem that prompts the author to write. The passage is prompted by the enactment and early enforcement of a new anti-distraction law, which enables vague, disproportionate policing in certain neighborhoods without addressing key safety issues like speeding. Enforcement data shows citations concentrated in Black areas despite no matching crash patterns, suggesting pretextual stops and ineffective policy. The author advocates for narrower criteria, transparency, and evidence-based interventions to ensure fair protection. Choice C, a common distractor, conflates the exigence with the nationwide problem of distracted driving, but it overlooks the specific law's implementation and biases as the core motivation. An effective strategy for exigence is to focus on the text's evidence of a new, localized situation or policy flaw, separating it from broader conditions or secondary consequences.
Read the following passage, then answer the question.
The state’s new water bill offers rebates for replacing lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping, a sensible idea—until you notice who is excluded. Renters cannot apply without a landlord’s signature, and homeowners must pay the full cost upfront before reimbursement arrives “within 12 to 16 weeks.” In neighborhoods like mine, where many residents rent and few have spare cash, the program functions less like conservation policy and more like a reward for people already able to invest. Meanwhile, the state continues to approve new developments with decorative fountains and watered medians, as if individual households are the only place waste occurs. If officials want meaningful savings, they must design programs that low-income residents can actually use and apply the same scrutiny to large-scale consumption.
The exigence prompting the passage is…
The potential consequence that conservation efforts will appear unfair and therefore fail to gain public support
The author’s purpose of encouraging readers to replace lawns and adopt drought-tolerant plants
A rebate program structured in ways that effectively exclude renters and cash-strapped households while focusing blame on individuals
Ongoing drought conditions and the general need for water conservation in the state
Explanation
The skill being tested here is identifying and describing exigence, which refers to the urgent situation or problem that motivates an author to write and shapes the rhetorical response. In this passage, the author is responding to a rebate program for drought-tolerant landscaping that is structured to exclude renters and cash-strapped households by requiring landlord approval and upfront payments. This setup rewards those who can afford initial costs while ignoring large-scale water waste from new developments, functioning more as a perk for the affluent than effective conservation. The program is critiqued for unfairly blaming individuals and failing to scrutinize bigger consumers. A common distractor, such as choice A, mistakes the exigence for ongoing drought conditions, but it overlooks the specific program's flaws as the catalyst for the argument. To identify exigence in other texts, look for the specific event or policy that the author directly critiques, distinguishing it from broader trends or potential outcomes.
Read the following passage embedded in the prompt, then answer the question.
When our state announced a “teacher quality initiative,” the slogan sounded harmless enough—until the details arrived. Under the new plan, teacher evaluations will hinge on a single standardized test score model that even the department admits has a wide margin of error. A teacher who takes on more English learners or students with interrupted schooling could be labeled “ineffective” simply because the algorithm expects a different trajectory. Supporters say the policy will “reward excellence,” but it offers no additional mentoring, smaller class sizes, or time for planning—only consequences. If lawmakers truly want better instruction, they should invest in the conditions that make it possible, not outsource judgment to a formula and call it accountability.
The exigence prompting the passage is…
the broader, long-term challenge of improving public education in the state
the consequence that some teachers may leave the profession because they feel discouraged
the author’s intention to explain how standardized tests are created
a newly announced policy tying teacher evaluations to a single test-based algorithm with high stakes
Explanation
This question asks you to identify and describe the exigence motivating the passage. The author responds to a newly announced state policy that ties teacher evaluations to a single standardized test score model with acknowledged errors, potentially penalizing teachers who work with challenging student populations. This specific policy announcement (choice C) is the urgent situation demanding response, not the author's intent to explain testing (choice A) or broader educational challenges (choice B). Choice D mistakes a potential consequence for the motivating exigence itself. To identify exigence accurately, focus on the immediate policy or event that creates urgency for response, particularly when it involves high stakes and questionable methodology.
Read the passage and answer the question.
The city’s “Vision Zero” campaign claims to prioritize pedestrian safety, yet the latest budget allocates more money to new parking meters than to crosswalk improvements near schools. On Maple Avenue, where two students were hit this year, the only change has been a banner reminding drivers to “share the road.” Banners do not slow cars; street design does. If the mayor wants fewer injuries, the city must install raised crosswalks, daylight intersections by removing curbside parking near corners, and enforce speed limits with redesign rather than sporadic ticketing. Public safety cannot depend on perfect driver behavior, because people are not perfect. The real test of a safety campaign is whether it changes asphalt, not whether it changes slogans.
The author is responding to which situation or problem?
The consequence that drivers may feel blamed and become defensive about road safety
The city’s mismatch between pedestrian-safety rhetoric and spending priorities despite recent collisions near schools
The author’s desire to explain what Vision Zero means to readers
The background condition that cities often need to balance many budget categories
Explanation
This question requires identifying and describing the exigence motivating the passage. The author is responding to the city's mismatch between its "Vision Zero" safety rhetoric and its actual spending priorities, particularly after recent student collisions (choice A). The specific problem combines inadequate safety measures on Maple Avenue where students were hit with a budget that prioritizes parking meters over crosswalk improvements. Choice B misidentifies the author's explanatory purpose as the exigence, choice C describes general background rather than the urgent situation, and choice D focuses on a potential consequence rather than the triggering problem. The exigence is the concrete disconnect between safety claims and actual policies following real injuries. To identify exigence accurately, look for the specific situation combining immediate harm with inadequate response.
Read the following passage and answer the question.
Our town’s water utility mailed a cheerful flyer announcing a “small adjustment” to monthly bills, but it omitted the detail that rates will rise 17% starting next cycle. The increase might be defensible if it funded pipe replacement in the neighborhoods that flood with rusty water every spring. Instead, the utility’s own capital plan shows major upgrades postponed again while funds are redirected to a waterfront “beautification” project meant to attract tourists. Meanwhile, residents are told to conserve, even as the utility reports millions of gallons lost to leaks it has not prioritized fixing. Public trust erodes when essential infrastructure is treated like a branding opportunity. Before any rate hike takes effect, the utility should hold an open forum, publish a plain-language breakdown of spending, and commit to leak reduction and pipe replacement as the first call on new revenue.
The author is responding to which situation or problem?
A proposed water-rate increase communicated opaquely and paired with spending priorities that appear to neglect urgent infrastructure repairs
The author’s purpose of encouraging civic participation in local government decisions
The consequence that residents will lose trust in the utility if the town continues promoting tourism projects
The general fact that water systems require maintenance and that conservation is important
Explanation
This question tests the skill of identifying and describing exigence in a rhetorical situation, which is the urgent issue or problem that prompts the author to write. The passage responds to a proposed water-rate increase that was communicated opaquely in a flyer, paired with spending that neglects urgent pipe repairs in favor of tourism projects. This situation highlights a lack of transparency, misplaced priorities, and ongoing leaks that waste water while residents are asked to conserve. The author demands an open forum and commitment to infrastructure before any hike, emphasizing eroded public trust. Choice C, a frequent distractor, confuses the exigence with general facts about water maintenance, but it misses the specific proposal and its flawed communication as the urgent trigger. A useful strategy is to isolate the exigence by identifying the text's central, timely conflict or decision, distinguishing it from universal truths or potential outcomes.
Read the following passage embedded in the prompt, then answer the question.
Our city’s new “quiet streets” ordinance was supposed to target late-night drag racing. Instead, it has become a blanket permission slip for tickets that treat ordinary life as noise. Last week my neighbor was fined because her toddler’s birthday party “exceeded permissible sound” at 6:40 p.m.—a time when most people are still cooking dinner. Meanwhile, the blocks where engines scream at midnight remain untouched because enforcement is complaint-driven, and the people most affected are the ones least likely to call. The council keeps repeating that the rule is “content-neutral,” but neutrality is not the same as fairness when the burden falls predictably on families and renters. If the city wants peace, it should focus on the specific behavior that prompted the ordinance—dangerous street racing—and stop using a broad decibel threshold as a shortcut for real policing.
The author is responding to which situation or problem?
the author’s belief that street racing is dangerous and should be punished more harshly
a city ordinance intended to curb drag racing that is being enforced broadly and unfairly against everyday residents
the general fact that cities have always struggled to balance freedom and order
the likelihood that neighbors will stop hosting parties because they fear fines
Explanation
This question requires identifying and describing the exigence that motivates the author's response. The passage reveals that a city ordinance originally intended to stop dangerous drag racing is now being enforced broadly against ordinary residents, with the author's neighbor receiving a fine for a toddler's birthday party at 6:40 PM. This misapplication of the law (choice A) is the specific problem demanding immediate attention, not the author's personal beliefs about street racing (choice B) or abstract concepts about city governance (choice C). Choice D mistakes a potential consequence for the actual exigence. To identify exigence effectively, focus on the concrete situation or policy change that creates an urgent need for response, particularly when there's a gap between stated intent and actual implementation.
Read the following passage embedded in the prompt, then answer the question.
The hospital’s new “streamlined check-in” is really a kiosk that asks patients to scroll through pages of legal language while a line forms behind them. Last week, my grandfather—who can barely see the screen—was told to “just sign” a consent form that included permission to share data with “partners” for “service improvement.” When he asked what that meant, the volunteer pointed to the next patient. The hospital argues that digital forms reduce errors, but speed is not the same as understanding, especially when the information being collected can follow a person for years. If this system is here to stay, the hospital should provide staff trained to explain the forms, offer large-print options by default, and stop bundling essential treatment consent with optional data-sharing agreements.
The exigence prompting the passage is…
a newly implemented kiosk-based check-in process that pressures patients into signing unclear data-sharing consent
the background condition that many older adults struggle with technology
the result that patients will distrust hospitals and avoid seeking care
the author’s desire to describe how hospitals have changed over time
Explanation
This question asks you to identify and describe the exigence prompting the author's argument. The passage describes a newly implemented hospital check-in system using kiosks that pressure patients, especially elderly ones, to quickly sign complex consent forms including unclear data-sharing agreements without adequate explanation. This specific new process (choice B) is the urgent situation demanding response, not the author's desire to describe changes (choice A) or general background conditions (choice C). Choice D confuses a potential outcome with the motivating exigence. When analyzing exigence, look for the specific new policy or system that creates immediate problems, especially when it involves consent and vulnerable populations.
Read the following passage and answer the question.
Last week, our state’s Department of Motor Vehicles began requiring online-only appointments for license renewals, claiming it would “reduce lines.” But the lines did not disappear; they moved to the digital world, where the next available slot is often 40 days away. For residents without reliable internet—especially seniors and rural families—“online-only” is not convenience but exclusion. The department suggests using the public library, yet many branches are open limited hours and do not allow patrons to refresh appointment pages for an hour straight. A basic public service should not depend on bandwidth and luck. The DMV can keep online scheduling while restoring a daily block of in-person, first-come appointments and a phone option that a human being actually answers.
The exigence prompting the passage is…
The long‑term challenge of modernizing government services in a digital age
A desire to explain how appointment systems work and why some people prefer them
The likelihood that people will drive with expired licenses and face penalties if they cannot get appointments
Recent DMV policy changes to online-only appointments that have created access barriers and long delays for renewals
Explanation
This question tests the skill of identifying and describing exigence in a rhetorical situation, which is the urgent issue or problem that prompts the author to write. The author addresses recent DMV policy changes requiring online-only appointments for license renewals, resulting in long delays, digital access barriers, and exclusion for those without reliable internet. This shift, intended to reduce lines, instead creates new obstacles, particularly for seniors and rural residents, turning a basic service into a test of bandwidth and availability. The passage calls for restoring in-person options and human phone support to make the system inclusive. A distractor such as choice B misidentifies the exigence as a long-term modernization challenge, but it fails to capture the specific, immediate policy implementation causing current hardships. To describe exigence accurately, trace the author's response to the most proximate and detailed problem in the passage, avoiding broad generalizations or future consequences.