Which of these is the attributive phrase that identifies the first source cited in the reading?

Conversely, some people believe that the collapse of marriage, not a lack of education, is the main cause of child poverty. Robert Rector, senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation, states, “Child poverty is an ongoing national concern, but few are aware that its principal cause is the absence of married fathers in the home.” Similarly, Jennifer A. Marshall, vice president at the Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity writes, “Regrettably, too little of the conversation is turning to the principal cause of child poverty: the collapse of marriage.” She claims that “being married is even more significant than graduating from high school for avoiding poverty.” She goes on to state that “proponents of a government solution also cite a lack of quality education and decent-paying jobs. True, inner-city schools often are appallingly sub-par, but ever-increasing spending hasn’t significantly improved educational quality and opportunity for those who need it most.” It is true that married, two-parent families have significant financial and other advantages over single-parent families. However, discounting the importance of public education for all children, especially those from low-income families is irresponsible. Also, without quality education, how can children from poor families hope to pull out of poverty, regardless of whether they are married or not? Those at the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups would say that marriage is the answer. Which of these is the attributive phrase that identifies the first source cited in the reading?

A) (2) “Robert Rector, senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation states…”
B) (3-4) “Proponents of a government solution also cite a lack of quality education and decent-paying jobs…”
C) “Child poverty is an ongoing national concern…”
D) “Being married is even more significant than graduating from high school for avoiding poverty…”

Final answer:

The attributive phrase that identifies the first source cited in the reading is (A) “Robert Rector, senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation states…”. This phrase is used to establish the credibility of Robert Rector’s statements and provide context for his perspective.

Explanation:

The attributive phrase that identifies the first source cited in the reading is (A) “Robert Rector, senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation states…”. An attributive phrase provides extra information about a noun – in this case, the noun is Robert Rector and the phrase provides details about his role and affiliation.

The phrase is used to establish the credibility of the information that the source (Robert Rector) provides and to help readers understand the perspective and bias that might influence the given statement. Knowing the official title and affiliation of the person, you can access his or her reliability. The phrase doesn’t simply give the name of the source, but it also attributes a specific designation and institution, pointing clearly to the source of the information. Other options presented in the question do not directly attribute the information to a source in this manner.

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