TOW #1

TOW #1 News Article: Scientists reveal Venice is sinking FIVE times faster than previously thought (Dailymail.co.uk) Lee Moran

            Lee Moran is an author for Dailymail.co and has an extensive amount of articles on their website.  The article describes how the Italian city, Venice, is sinking five times faster then previously thought.  Moran explains how flood tides in Venice are increasing every year and that this is not due to nothing.  His article then goes into detail describing how high Venice’s floodwaters reach and that it continues to sink “2mm per year.”  Moran also goes on to say that Venice is sinking in the east faster then the west and that it cause Venice’s buildings to be “tilted to the east”. 

Moran uses many photos to show how fearful many people are that this floating city may not be floating but sunk in a few years to come.  Moran ends the article using the logos rhetorical strategy exemplification.  He uses this with a quote explaining how “Experts at Consorzio Venezia Nuova highlighted concerns about the report. (explaining) 'We have calculated the city has been sinking 3 to 4cms per century. 'Now they say 2mm per year… that means Venice would sink 20cm every 100 years. That's more than five times more than we calculated.”  He uses these statistics to back up his opinion that Venice will not be around much longer.  Moran’s purpose is to persuade his audience (his audience being anyone that disagrees with his point) that Venice will not be around for much longer.  I believe the author did explain his opinion in depth using very logical reasoning and scientific facts to explain how the city is sinking just beneath the feet of many Venetians.  Although this information does work in Moran’s favor in supporting his purpose of conveying his opinion I do believe he could have added more historical information to back his opinion.  This is because Venice has been dealing with floods since the beginning of its existence and information about these floods would be vital in understanding Venice’s current “problem”.