38. Thousands of Bridges Across the United States Are at Risk of Collapse

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/05/26/thousands_of_bridges_across_u_s_are_at_risk_of_collapse.html

In Daniel Politi's article, "Thousands of Bridges Across the United States Are at Risk of Collapse," he reveals that many bridges across the country are collapsing after one accident. He starts out his article by showing a recent accident, which resulted in a collapsed bridge. Politi says the structure of the bridges are too weak and don't have enough protections. State officials state that the bridges are being inspected. However, they are still at risk of collapsing and millions of drivers cross these bridges without knowing that. Politi ends his article with a quote from the chairman of the NAtional Transportation Safety Board encouraging people to notice this problem.

The author's purpose in writing this article is to warn people about the collapsing bridges across the country. The audience of this article are Americans, since this problem is occurring in the USA and the victims are those who live there. Politi does a good job in referring to credible authorities such as the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. He also uses logos and pathos to support his point. Politi writes about the bridges collapsing which is a true fact that most people already know. His tone is serious, which means that action must be taken soon. Politi does a good job in informing people and letting people realize the significance of knowing this problem which can hurt many people.