1. Source: book, Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely: pp. 4. Passage: “One thing Rapp has learned is that high-priced entrees on the menu boost revenue for the restaurant－even if no one buys them. Why? Because even though people generally won’t buy the most expensive dish on the menu, they will order the second most expensive dish. Thus, by creating an expensive dish, a restaurateur can lure customers into ordering the second most expensive choice (which can be cleverly engineered to deliver a higher profit margin).” What works: First describe a seemingly self-contradictory phenomenon to arouse interest. Then, by asking “Why?” for the reader, the author naturally gives out the reason that resolves the puzzle. Using it: I can use rhetoric questions to let readers think for themselves first, and then offer my own reason.

2. Source: book, Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely: pp. 17. Passage: “The result? Now the average CEO makes about 369 times as much as the average worker－about three times the salary before executive compensation went public.” What works: Using a precise number “369 times” to make a dramatic effect on the polarity of income. The number is really eye-catching, and straightly conveys a sense of sarcasm. Using it: If I want to show the scale of something, I can use exact numbers to impress the reader.

3. Source: A little faster, George? From The Economist, March 9th 2013: pp. 11. Passage: “Over the past 170 years this newspaper has tracked the British economy through some devastating shocks. The global slump of 1857 wiped out banks and chilled demand for exports. The 1930 Depression hit the country hard. Two world wars destroyed homes and infrastructure. Yet five years after each of these events the economy was growing. Not so this time.” What works: The passage first lists examples of what happened to the British Economic