Assignment 1: Rats mob the Upper East Side

Please post a response to the following. Make sure you are identifiable to receive credit since many of you have unusual display names. Post your responses as a “Reply” to this post. Do NOT post as a new entry on the main page. This assignment is due Tuesday October 15th.

In “Rats Mob the Upper East Side,” Andrew Grossman uses a photograph, a map (and a quantitative graph) and text to report on the problem of rats. In the questions below, these different ways of delivering information will be referred to as “mediums.”

Respond to each writing prompt. Keep in mind that there are no “right” answers here. As long as you defend your idea with an explanation, you are on the right track!

  1. What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?
  2. Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
  3. Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
  4. Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?
  5. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
  6. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?
  7. Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
  8. How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
  9. How do you feel when you look at the map?
  10. What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?

30 Responses to Assignment 1: Rats mob the Upper East Side

  1. Nelsy says:

    1. the main point of this article is that residents near 92nd and 93rd street in 2nd avenue have been seeking lots of rats. they conclude that it comes from the second avenue subway project that started 3 years ago and may finish 2016 or 2018.
    2. i would say the “Rodent Raid” map is the most effective. the article speaks about rats and manhattan and it clearly shows that manhattan (especially upper east side) is infested by 45%-73.5% of rats.
    3. the most informative is the “Rodent Raid”, because it gives us a percentage of how many rats are in the area, gives us a key, and also shows the whole New York City.
    4. I believe when Mr.Washington shares his story about his car is the most emotional impact. I say that because not only does he see rats in his neighborhood but it affected his car – the rats chewed up some wires under his car;s hood making him spend his money because of the rats.
    5. “It’s just wild. You cant imagine how infested this place became”. it helps me understand the problem because a local resident is awared on how the neighborhood has changed because of the subway project causing him to see an infestation of rats.
    6. “T&Y Groceries on second avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say”. it helps me understand the problem because its telling me when and where the rats started becoming a problem.
    7. – An army of rats
    – “it looks like the street’s moving”
    -rats, like humans, want to be near food sources and wont move out of their homes if they dont have to.
    -“My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”.
    -“We are, until 2018, in a living hell”.
    8. I feel like that is gross and dirty and i would not want it to be feeding off my house.
    9. I’m happy i don’t live in manhattan because it has the highest rat rate.
    10. the rat shows us the problem and the map shows us where the problem is mostly found.

  2. irram iqbal says:

    1)) The main point of the article is to show what’s been causing the chaos of rats in the upper east side.
    2)) I believe that the Rodent Raid is the most effective because it gives you a clear vision of the percentage of what areas are being taken over by rats.
    3)) The most informative piece of work is the Rodent Raid because it visually shows you the amount of rats that have been seen.
    4)) I believe that Tara Reddi, a three decade resident that says they will have to deal with this for another five years.
    5)) “It looks like the streets are moving,” it helps demonstrate a picture in my mind to visualize what the streets look like with the rats all over the place.
    6)) “Lots of them will be killed during the construction. But lots will get away, and they’re going to be looking for new and better places to go.” This helps better understand that the rats will start to increase and spread out into different parts of the area.
    7)) “It looks like the street’s moving, “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,”
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,”.
    8)) I feel disgusted because their dirty rodents running around and we don’t even know what diseases they are carrying around.
    9)) When I look at the map I feel suprised that the rate is so high since many tourists come to visit Manhattan.
    10)) All of the mediums serve a rate and a picture to visually show what the effect of rats are and how much it has spread.

  3. 1) The main point of this article that there are lots of rats disordering on the streets.
    2) Rodent Raid is the most effective because it clearly talks about rats.
    3) Rodent Raid, because it gives total range of rats.
    4) I think Mr. Johnson, because there are too rats so maybe that i won’t be fixed.
    5) “Lots of them will be killed during the construction. But lots will get away, and they’re going to be looking for new and better places to go.” meaning that they are spreading out everywhere.
    6) “Check engine, check oil, check everything.” I can understand from this sentence that rats damaging people stuff by going through their houses.
    7) “It’s just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became.”
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,”
    8) I feel like trowing up, its very dirty which i was disgusted by it.
    9) When I saw map I was surprised because I never though in Manhattan there are that much high rate of rats.
    10) In the article the map shows that where rats are spread out and its very hard to fix it which it won’t be fixed.

  4. Nemah says:

    1)The main point for this article is to show how things have gotten worse in the upper east side. Rats have been taking over the streets and many other things, and its going to stay that way for a while.
    2)I think it would be the text, because it shares their true experiences and what they feel when they see rats everywhere.
    3)The text would be most informative because it details what is going to happen and also provides us with evidence.
    4)I think that 63 year old Mr. Washington had an emotional impact on me, because he had to get his car towed because the rats had chewed the wires from under the hood
    5) “I’m not saying that there’s never been rats in this neighborhood,” says Mr. Washington, 63 years old, who has lived in the area since 1970. “But it’s never been like this.”. Here it shows how serious things have gotten. Also it shows a major difference between how it was and how it is now.
    6)T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say. Here it shows me how long ago this situation happened.
    7)”It looks like the street’s moving,”.
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” he says.
    8)It makes me feel disgusted and disapproved of what is happening.
    9)surprised of what its proving.
    10)It shows how Rats have spread and the will continue to spread.

    • roberta selvatico says:

      1) the main point of the article is the invasion of rats in Upper East Side, to be more specific on Second Avenue between 91st and 95th street, due to the subway constructions in that area.
      2) the most effective medium is the Rodent Raid because it shows the big area infested by rats, so almost all manhattan with high percentage.
      3) the most informative medium is the text because it gives more information and reasons of the invasion of rats, talking also about people opinions.
      4)the text gives the most emotional impact because of the people’s stories and the discomfort that rats are creating in this area, like the evidence from the man that found seven rats in his car while he was driving his wife to the dentist, and he had to take the car to a dealership.
      5)”It looks like the street’s moving,”. this sentence I think really gives the idea of how the street look like at night in that area infested by rats. you dont see anything because it’s dark but just things moving continuosly across the streets.
      6)T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say. Early on, rats ate through plastic packaging to get at food stacked on shelves. this gives the idea of the problem of rats for stores in that area, so related to food.
      7) yes. “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” this is a similes used.
      “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,” this is a metaphor.
      8) it is disgusting, and it gives me a feeling of very dirty, also because rats can bring many illnesses.
      9) i knew in Manhattan there were many rats but i didn’t thinks that the percentage was that high.
      10) the text gives the information and data about the rats problem. the map shows what are the areas infested by rats and how they are spreaded.

  5. beatrice says:

    Beatrice Obeney

    1. The main idea or point of the article is that, rats has infested the upper east side of the city, they are taken over the streets and occupying people’s stores and cars.
    2. Photograph would be most effective because the image of the rats will gross people out and get people to help get rid of the rats once and for all.
    3. The most informative medium is the text because you get an inside opinion from people’s encounter with the rats and informations on where the rats may be hiding.
    4. Once again the text is the most emotional impact because of people’s stories on how the rats have taken over the streets, the stores and even Mr. Washington’s car that he couldn’t even drive back home because the rats have chewed wires under his car hood.
    5.” … The major source of the problem likely is an abandoned building on second ave”. It helps me understand that because of buildings that are not being use, the rats are living in those buildings as their homes.
    6. “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say”. This help me understand how long the rats has been seen around the city and when they started their invasion.
    7. Yes the article uses metaphor and simile. “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”. “It looks like the street’s moving”. “An army of rats”.
    8. Seeing the image gross me out, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Ewwww
    9. When I look at the map I feel surprise by the amount of rats there is. I knew there were rats in the city but I didn’t know there were that many.
    10. The photograph gives us a view of the rats and how disgusting they look. The map shows the percentage increase of rats and where they occupy the most. The text gives us peoples opinions, their encounter with the rats and how they feel threatened about them.

  6. Sharry Mei says:

    Sharry Mei
    1. The main point of this article is to inform people about invasion of rats raiding the Upper East Side where residents live.
    2. I believe the “Rodent Raid” is the most effective because it shows a clear view of the percentages in every borough especially in Manhattan with the highest.
    3. I think the most informative medium is the text because there are residents who express their feelings and their sights on the rats.
    4. I think Mr. Washington’s story about his car is the most emotional impact because the rats totally destroyed his car to the point that he had to have it towed to a dealership.
    5. “It looks like the streets are moving,” helps me create a visual of how infested the Upper East Side is with rats. It sounds very disturbing.
    6. “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” he says. “‘Check engine, check oil, check everything.’’- This really demonstrates how much damage these rats are causing.
    7. Simile: “It looks like the street’s moving.”
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”
    Metaphor: “We are, until 2018, in a living hell.”
    8. I feel really disgusting and I feel extremely bad for the Upper East Side residents. No one should live like that.
    9. I was actually very shocked because I assumed that Brooklyn had the most rat population. But I am also very grateful I don’t live in Manhattan and I also hope they rats wont spread to Brooklyn.
    10. The mediums show the spread of rats and how it will continue with the data/information.

  7. Brittany Fleming says:

    1. The main point of this article was about the infestation of rats throughout Upper eastside and how it got worse.
    2. The most effective getting the articles point was the map named “Rodent Raid”. It show how effective some parts are with the percentages of inspections.
    3. The most informative was the text. It gave us the information of how they are trying to get rid of this problem. Also it showed what should happen and what the results can be if they do it a certain way.
    4. The text delivered a great emotion by how it affected people’s lives and what they think happens when certain things comes around their neighborhood. Also how it affected a person’s car of how the population of rats do under a car.
    5. “It looks like the street’s moving,” says Mr. Johnson. It showed me how the amount of rats that they have at a period of time together move at once.
    6. “It’s hard to pinpoint the single cause of any rat infestation. Experts say rats, like humans, want to be near food sources and won’t move out of their homes if they don’t have to” and” T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say”. It showed me that they knew this problem for a period of time. Also it showed me that there isn’t one reason why these rats are still in this neighborhood.
    7. Army of rats
    It looks like the streets are moving
    My dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree
    8. The picture of the rat disgusts me because it looks like a dirty environment and makes me feel scared of how people can see them almost every day of their lives and be ok with it.
    9. I feel like that there is a lot of infestation in different areas around the boroughs of New York. There is quite a lot parts that have this problem.
    10. The text showed me the emotion of how people feel about the subway project and what affected them. The picture showed me how many parts have a problem of rats around the areas. The photograph showed me the rat looks like and how I wouldn’t want to see it.

  8. Brandy says:

    Brandy Severino

    1) the main point of the article is to show the recent infestation of rats that have taken hold of the upper east side of Manhattan, along with the cause for it and the effects that it imposes on the residents.
    2) the “Rodent Raid” map is the most effective as it clearly speaks about the areas that are infested and how manhattan has the highest percentage, from 45%-73.5% of rats.
    3) the Rodent Raid is the most informative as it gives numerical values to the recent outbreak of rats and visually demonstrates the range of affected areas.
    4) i believe the story of Mr. Washington delivers the greatest emotional impact as it gives an example of how people’s lives are affect by the rats and how is not some problem that you could just ignore.
    5) “It’s just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became.” it helps me see the extent of how much the rats have invaded this area and how the residents are left dumbfounded by its size.
    6) “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say.” this helps me see how the problem has been affecting people since the start of the construction, along with the places that are most commonly affected, such as grocery stores and places where theres a lot of food.
    7) “It looks like the street’s moving”, “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” “An army of rats”, “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,”
    8) looking at the picture of the rat makes me feel disgusted by it long with realizing a truth that many of us already know but choose to ignore it daily. We are plagued by rats.
    9) it is quite shocking as it shows the range of how much the city has been affected by the rats. One is aware of the number of rats in the city but one is never shown the exact amount of them that the city inhabits.
    10) the text gives personal accounts of the effect the rats have on people and the result from their increase. The photograph shows the ugly truth that we like to avoid every time we pass by a sewer or go down on the subway. the map shows percentages of their increase in number and which parts of the city has been more affected.

  9. waleed says:

    1. The main point of the article is that, the upper East Side is getting infested with rats due to the subway constructions.
    2. I think the “Rodent Raid” map was the most effective in getting the article’s point across. The article is mainly about the rat infestation in the Upper East Side, and the map shows the percentage of rat activity in Manhattan.
    3. I think that the “Rodent Raid” was the most informative. The map shows you a clear view of the rats that have been seen not only in Manhattan, but in other boroughs as well.
    4. Mr. Washington’s story had the most emotional impact. He was driving his wife to the dentist. Rats came out from the front of his car. The rats chewed up the wires under the hood. He ended up having to tow his car to the dealership.
    5. “I’m not saying that there’s never been rats in this neighborhood,” says Mr. Washington, 63 years old, who has lived in the area since 1970. “But it’s never been like this.” This secondary information helps you understand the problem more. You can see how much worse the rat infestation has gotten. It also shows you that it was never this bad, and that it is becoming more of a serious problem.
    6. “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say.” This helps me understand that the rats are all over the city. Rats are in subways, houses, cars, and even in stores, eating up the merchandise. This shows me that the rats are invading all over of the Upper East Side and it shows how serious this rat infestation is getting.
    7. Yes. Similes – “It looks like the street’s moving”
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”
    -“Rats, like humans, want to be near food sources”
    Metaphors- “An army of rats”
    -“We are, until 2018, in a living hell”
    8. I feel disgusted when I look at the picture of the rat. I feel bad and sympathize for the people in the Upper East Side to have to see these little disgusting rodents a lot.
    9. I felt really shocked when I looked at the map. I’m relieved that I don’t live in the Upper East Side. I found it crazy that, there was no sign of rat activity found in Staten Island.
    10. The photograph shows a rat and how disgusting it looks. The text shows the problems on rat infestation, and gives us information of how some people in the Upper East Side have to deal with them. The map shows us percentages of where there’s rat activity.

  10. Anesa says:

    1. The main point of the article is to inform the reader about the invasion of rats in the Upper East Side.
    2. The “Rodent Raid” photograph is most effective in getting the point across because it is the main idea summarized in a photo with the percentages pertaining to the infestation of the rats.
    3. The “Rodent Raid” photograph is also the most informative because again it gives the percentage rate of the rats not only in Manhattan but also in other boroughs.
    4. I believe Mr. Washington’s story had the most emotional impact. As he was driving his wife to the dentist, rats invaded in front of his car and chewed wires under the hood which resulted in Mr. Washington having to tow his car.
    5. “Lots of them will be killed during the construction. But lots will get away, and they’re going to be looking for new and better places to go.” meaning that the rats will then start to spread out everywhere.
    6. “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say”. This statement showed that they had known about this problem for a period of time.
    7. “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” ”It looks like the street’s moving,”.
    8. I feel disgusted by just looking at the picture. Rats are very dirty and carry all kinds of diseases from what I know. I could not imagine what the residents in the Upper East Side go through on a daily basis.
    9. I honestly feel very surprised when looking at the map because I had never imagined the rate of rats to ever be that high especially in Manhattan.
    10. The mediums serve a great purpose to have readers visualize rats in one area rapidly increasing.

  11. Alejandra Lezama says:

    1.The main point of this article is the invasion of rats in the upper East side, due to the subway project that start 3 year ago and is still not finish.
    2. I would have to say that the most effective medium is the “Rodent Raid” because it shows a clear view of the percentages of rats in Manhattan with the highest in district 12.
    3.I think the most informative medium is the text because it gives us the opinion from residents who had encountered with the rats, they know where the rats maybe hiding.
    4.The text is the most emotional impact because of people’s stories on how the rats have taking over their neighborhood , the stores that impacted me was Mr. Washington’s had to get his car towed because the rats had chewed the wires under the car hood.
    5. “It looks like the streets are moving,” helps me create a vision on how infested the Upper East Side is with rats. This is truly the city that never sleeps.
    6.“T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say”, it helps me understand the problem because this statement shows me that this has been an ongoing problem not result and is just getting worse.
    7. Yes, “It looks like the street’s moving”, “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”, “An army of rats”.
    8. Looking at the picture gross me out we don’t know what kind of disease they carry. I feel bad for the Upper East Side residents they are practically sharing their streets, stores and cars with this rodents.
    9.I’m glad I don’t leave in Manhattan because they are the heights rated borough with rats.

    10. The text shows the problems on rat infestation, and gives us information of how the residents in the Upper East Side have to deal with them. The map shows us the areas infested by rats and that district 12 has the highs infestation of rats. The photograph show a disgusting rat and the ugly truth that’s rats are all over.

  12. Keila Gordon says:

    1. What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?
    The rat infestation has grown in the past couple of years. It’s affecting the lives of people and the businesses of the Upper East Side. Residences are blaming the MTA and the Metropolitan Transportation for all the construction they’ve been doing.
    2. Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
    The medium most effective is the map showing where the infestation is occurring. It gives the idea and exact location of how serious and effective this infestation really is.
    3. Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
    The map is most effective because you’re provided with the exact location of the infestation. It shows the infestation is affecting a huge part of NYC.
    4. Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?
    The photograph of the mouse provides the greattest emotional impact. It gives you a kind of irking and gross feeling by estimating the size of the rats and how scary it must be to see one of that size wandering around the Upper East Side.
    5. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
    I didn’t really notice any secondary linew,but the map of the Upper West Side is a secondary source the writer used. It emphasizes the location of the infestation.
    6. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?
    “It looks like the street are moving.. it’s wild just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became,” says Mr. Johnson.
    “May be exacerbating a pre-existing condition,” contractor wrote the MTA.
    “I’m not saying that there’s never been rats in this neighborhood… but it’s never been like this,” says Mr. Washington.
    These primary sources give a strong example of how the people feel about the infection and what officials are trying to resolve in this difficult time.
    7. Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
    Simile: “ My dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree.”
    Metaphor: “it’s like the streets are moving.

    8. How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
    I feel extremely grossed out and as if one is actually in close radiance of me.
    9. How do you feel when you look at the map?
    I feel confused because I never thought a rat infestation was going on in such a huge part of New York City.
    10. What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?
    The map serves as evidence of the location and the photograph of the rat shows more of an emotional impact. The photo of the rat stries to make the reader understand what it’s like to witness a rat in person.

  13. Cecilia Lascano says:

    Cecilia Lascano

    1. The main point of this article is to show how the rat infestation has increased in these past years since the MTA started construction near 91-95th street.

    2. The map “Rodent Raid” shows an overall percentage of the rats in the Upper East Side.

    3. The article is the most informative way because it is detailed with experiences from the people living in that area. It also shows what the MTA is willing to do to stop the rat infestation.

    4. The article delivers the greatest emotional impact because it has interviews from people living in that area and struggle they are suffering due to the rats.

    5. “Experts say rats, like humans, want to be near food sources and won’t move out of their homes if they don’t have to.” This shows the reason why the rat population has increased in supermarkets and homes.

    6. “I’m not saying that there’s never been rats in this neighborhood, […] But it’s never been like this.” This shows how the rat problem has increased.

    7. Simile:
    “It looks like the street’s moving,”
    “like humans, want to be near food sources and won’t move out of their homes[…]”
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,”
    Metaphor:
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,”

    8. I feel disgusted but at the same time it doesn’t really bother me because I’m use to seeing them on the tracts of the subway.

    9. When I see the map I am amazed at how big this problem has become.

    10. The map is able to show the percentage of rats and how bad the problem has become, while the article gives readers the insite of what people are going through and what will be done to stop the rats.

  14. Christopher Torres says:

    1. The main point of this article is, the upper eastside is infested and will continue to be infested with rats due to the subway construction.
    2. I think that the map of the rodent raid is the most effective because it shows you which borough in NYC has the most rat problem.
    3. I think that the rodent raid is the most informative because it gives us the percentage of each borough and its infestation rates of rats.
    4. The greatest emotional impact was, Mr. Washington’s story because, not only did the rats made him tow his car because of the chewed up wires, but he has to pay a lot of money due to the damage the rats did on his car.
    5. “It looks like the street’s moving” helps me realize that there must be a lot of rats in the upper east side of Manhattan. If the streets look like they are moving but its just an army of rats, that’s crazy.
    6. “Lots of them will be killed during the construction. But lots will get away, and they’re going to be looking for new and better places to go”. this helps me understand that the rats aren’t going anywhere they’re staying, just looking for a new condo.
    7. ~rats, like humans, want to be near food sources and wont move out of their homes if they don’t have to
    ~An army of rats
    8. When i looked at the picture of the rat i felt fine, matter of fact i printed it out, taped it to the toilet seat so that when the seat cover is lift, boom scary Happy Halloween.
    9. When i saw the map i did not have any idea there was an infestation of rats going on currently in new york city. I was news to me.
    10. The photo of the rat serves as an image to anyone who has never witnessed a rat on the train or train tracks. The map serves as key to all who want to know about the infestation in NYC.

  15. Melissa says:

    1. The main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side,” is that rats are all over the upper east side because of train construction and this is affecting the people who live there.
    2. The picture “Rodent Raid” is the most effective because it shows a clear view of the percentages in every borough especially in Manhattan with the highest. Seventy-three percent of rat activity is in Manhattan.
    3. I think the text is the most informative because it goes into detail about the rat activity in Manhattan. It even tells you a real life story about how the rats are affecting peoples’ lives.

    4. The picture of the rat delivers the greatest emotional impact because you see the rat and what it looks like. I pictured a million of these gross rats running around the city. For many people that is scary and upsetting.

    5. “Lots of them will be killed during the construction. But lots will get away, and they’re going to be looking for new and better places to go.” This line shows the reported looked into the construction and you are able to understand that some of the rats are going to die but they also are going to get away and that is going to be bad for people.

    “Bobby Corrigan, a rodent expert who consults for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.”The public has the perception that if there’s construction, there’s going to be rats,” he says. “There’s never any scientific evidence to show those two things are correlated.””The reporter got information from a reliable source Bobby Corrigan for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. This helped because you can also see a different side not only thinking rats come from construction. They possibly could come from somewhere else.

    6.“It looks like the street are moving.. it’s wild just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became,” says Mr. Johnson.
    “I’m not saying that there’s never been rats in this neighborhood,” says Mr. Washington, 63 years old, who has lived in the area since 1970. “But it’s never been like this.
    The prospect of eight more years of subway construction spurred Tara Reddi, a three-decade resident of 93rd Street, to form a block association. One top priority: fighting rats.
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,” she says.
    These lines are examples of “primary research” because it is coming from a direct person. It helps you understand because you see what the person has to say and it is direct facts.

    7. The Simile: “ My dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree.”
    The Metaphor: “It looks like the street’s moving”

    8. When I look at the picture of the rat I get grossed out. I know that they are dirty and whenever you see one that always means there are more to come. I get upset knowing that they are all around.

    9. When I look at the map I get even more upset because those are facts. It is crazy that is how many rats there are.

    10. The text tells us why there is rats all over and shows us how it is affecting the people of Manhattan. The map gives you numbers and the picture makes you actually see what the rat looks like and it shows you that those are the rats in Manhattan.

  16. Mariyam khan says:

    1)What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?
    Rats have taken over the Upper East Side ( cars, apartments,streets ) and their has not been any scientifical proven fact proposed for why this is occuring.

    2)Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
    I believe the Rodent rage map is the most effective way of getting the point across, it is more specific in stating the location and or area where the infestation of rat is occuring, which can be extremely helpful for the people.

    3)Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
    The Rodent rage map/ photograph clearly indicated the areas that have higher infestation of rats and others that are not as highly infested.

    4)?Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?
    I believe Mr. Washington’s story delivered the greatest emotional impact, because it really helps you visualize how rats have infested the area and can really impact our lives .For example it was indicated in the story where Mr. Washington had to tow his car away because the rats had completely token over it.

    5)Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
    ” It looks like the streets are moving” , this helped me visualize an image where the rats are grouped among eachother and rattling the streets taking over the city.
    6)Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?
    “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say.” I never came to realize that this could be one of the major factors why rats have infested the city,now that i know this it really make sense to me why their could be more rats in certain area’s than others.

    7)Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
    Yes , their are similes and metaphors “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”, “An army of rats”
    8)How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
    I feel really frightened to know we live in a city that has been terribly infested by these terribly disgusting looking creatures.

    9)How do you feel when you look at the map?
    I feel dissapointed that Manhattan has the highest rat infestation , but i am not all surprised with all the food,littering , people, trucks, factories buisness and commerical going on it is not at all hard to believe.
    10) What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?
    Not only does it give you insight to the places and the current status that this area is in , but it provides images and maps so you can have a clear pereception and understanding on what is going on.

  17. 1.
    What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?

    The main point of this article is to tell about the infestation of rats in the east 90s along second avenue. form what they are saying that is the worst rat problem in decades

    2.
    Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?

    The text would be the most effective medium because it is very detailed on what is going on in the article. it tells you everything.

    3.
    Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?

    it could be the map because it really shows you how bad it is and not just in words and you can tell how bad it is.

    4.
    Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?

    The medium that delivered the greatest emotional impact was the story about mr Washington on when he had to use his car to take his wife to the dentist and a lot of rat came out of his car. it is the best because it show how bad the infestation of rats is on how out of control it really got.
    5.
    Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?

    “It looks like the street’s moving,” says Mr. Johnson, who has lived on 93rd Street east of Second Avenue since 1976. “It’s just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became.” This help me understand more because it shows how long this guy was living where he was and the problem of rats were never like that back in his days.

    6.
    Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?

    “Residents’ squeaking recently spurred the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to look into the problem. But the contractor managing the project and an exterminator concluded in March that despite signs of rats throughout the neighborhood the major source of the problem likely is an abandoned building on Second Avenue. The contractor, S3 Tunnel Constructors, is a joint venture between Skanska AB, Schiavone Construction Co. and J.F. Shea Co.

    The blasting “may be exacerbating a pre-existing condition,” the contractor wrote the MTA, recommending that the building be cleaned, baited and sealed and that other building owners take steps to fight rats.

    A survey didn’t find evidence of rats in the work zone near 92nd and 93rd streets, the contractor wrote. The MTA has been excavating a giant cavern beneath Second Avenue between 91st and 95th Streets that will serve as the launching area for a tunnel boring machine.” This tells me that this could be the reason for all of a sudden all of these rats coming out and coming in numbers

    7.
    Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.

    i saw one similes when he said “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,”
    8.
    How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?

    seeing that rat picture makes me want to kill it because it so big and ugly.
    9.
    How do you feel when you look at the map?

    I feel happy that there is not as many rats in queens that there are in manhattan and i am glad that it is that way because i dislike rats.

    10.
    What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?

    Each give something different to look at are read while reading the article with text you can go into detail on what is going on. And the map shows you how bad it is compare the the other borough.

  18. Yerlin says:

    1. What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side?”
    The main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” is that the construction of the MTA’s second avenue line is leading people of that area to infer that the rats like never before are coming from that construction. Throughout the article people complain about the infestation of rats that the MTA is bringing to the neighborhood.
    2. Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
    The medium that I think is most effective in getting the article’s point across is the photograph at the top of the article where there is a rat scurrying across the N-R-W tracks at the 59th and Lexington avenue station. This photograph emphasizes the reality of the New York City subways –rats scurrying every inch of it; plus, the possibility of the construction scaring the rats away from the subway and into people’s homes, businesses, and even cars.
    3. Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
    The medium that I think is most informative is the photograph showing data of rat activity, this graph shows the areas of rat infestation seems to be most of Manhattan. The area with the highest percentage of rat activity is the very tip north end of Manhattan known as district twelve.
    4. Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?
    The medium that delivers the greatest emotional impact is a part of the text in which it states “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say. Early on, rats ate through plastic packaging to get at food stacked on shelves. Now, the store stocks merchandise in plastic bins to keep them out, says employee Harsh Patel.” This stands out as an emotional impact to me because experiencing as a daughter what it is like to open a business from scratch it would be devastating to have a problem like rodents be the downfall of your business. Rodents can easily scare away customers as well as having to place merchandise in plastic bins can be quite embarrassing to the owner.
    5. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
    One type of secondary research the reporter did was interviewing people of the area being infested. For instance when the reporter interviews Mr. Washington, he states “One morning around 9 a.m., Mr. Washington says, he had to take his wife to the dentist. But when he turned the key, the car started to shake and people on the street shrieked, he says. Seven rats ran out from under the front of the car.” This type of secondary research helped me understand in depth the problem because it is showing me that real actual people are going through conflicts involving the rat infestation. It also helped prove the articles main point profundity.
    6. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?

    7. Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,”
    “It looks like the street’s moving”
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell.”
    8. How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
    I feel disgusted and appalled about the fact that actual rats are running around; it is common to see mice but these are gigantic rats!
    9. How do you feel when you look at the map?
    I feel a bit surprised because people always think of Manhattan being such a luxurious place and it also attracts a lot of tourists but it is actually a rat infested place.
    10. What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall
    The unique function that each medium serves in conveying the article overall is that they inform the readers into a deeper understanding of what the article is trying to say and also prove. The addition of the map is also very informative and attracts the reader’s attention.

  19. What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?
    The main point of the article is the terrible infestation of rats on the upper east side.
    Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
    I think the text was the most effective because it was more informative and gave more detail into what exactly was occurring.
    Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
    I think the text is the most informative because it talks about peoples personal experiences with the rodents and what the city is going to do to try to solve this problem

    Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?
    Again, the text delivers the greatest emotional impact, due to the interviews with people who have experienced terrible experiences with the infestation. For example, the gentleman who started his car and saw that rats have actually been living inside the car itself.
    Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
    “It looks like the streets are moving”, this piece of text helps me understand the problem because it gives me a visual of rats scurrying across the streets of New York.
    Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?
    “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say. Early on, rats ate through plastic packaging to get at food stacked on shelves. this gives the idea of the problem of rats for stores in that area, so related to food.” This piece of text helps me understand the problem because it gives me insight as to how long this has been occurring.
    Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree.”, is a simile.
    How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
    I feel disgusted and uneasy because I hate rats.
    How do you feel when you look at the map?
    I feel a bit safe because I live in Brooklyn, and Brooklyn has the least amount of rats besides staten island who is not affected at all.
    What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?
    Each medium gives the reader more insight as to how bad the infestation is and attracts the readers attention because who ever is reading the article is most likely from New York, so we would all be concerned.

  20. nathaly concepcion says:

    Nathaly Concepcion
    1.What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?
    The main point of the article is the fact that there’s been an increase in rats at East 90s along Second Avenue. And how residents have been complaining to people in power to make a change.
    2.Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
    The rodent raid photograph illustrating a map of the five boroughs and it shows the percentage by color white and red of rat activity found in each borough it is the most effective because it shows visually where the problem is and how serious it is.
    3.Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
    When mr.washington speaks about how long he has been in the neighborhood and has never seen anything this bad since they started the construction. It shows time difference and a witness.
    4.Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?I
    believe that the story about Mr.washington and the car situation because it made me feel disgusted and it made me feel strong about getting rid of those rats. The way it was written it had a lot of details and also you can picture the scene in your head which is disturbing.

    5.Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
    “The blasting “may be exacerbating a pre-existing condition,” the contractor wrote the MTA, recommending that the building be cleaned, baited and sealed and that other building owners take steps to fight rats.” I feel as if most of the of the passage is secondary because most of the information andrew used was what he heard and now really what he experienced.
    6.Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?
    “Things get especially ugly at night, says Walter Johnson, a 60-year-old maintenance worker.” this is primary because it was said by walter and he seen it with his own eyes he experienced the author andrew just re-wrote his words on paper.
    7.Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
    Yes a simile when Mr. Walter Johnson says “It looks like the street’s moving,” he used the word like to compare the streets and motion.
    8.How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
    It honestly disgusts me and its disturbing.
    9.How do you feel when you look at the map?
    The map shocks me and I feel like I have more understanding in the percentages and areas where there is a high rate of rats.
    10.What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?
    They both add to the main point and trying to get a message across to get people involved and concerned.

  21. Tiffany Rose says:

    1. The main point of the article is the infestation of rats in the upper east side and the terrible effect the infestation has on the community.

    2. 3. 4.
    I think the text is the most effective, informative, and delivers the greatest emotional impact because the text provides the visual image in the readers’ minds about how terrible the infestation of the rats must be on the community. The text describes how the community feels and the opinions of other representatives who disagree with the community. The text describes in detail the point of the article and how the people of the upper east side feel about the problem they cannot seem to get rid of.

    5. “”We are, until 2018, in a living hell,” she says.”
    This secondary research of ‘living in hell’ until 2018 helps me understand how terrible and difficult the infestation is on the community. Since the community of the upper east side believes the rat infestation is a result from the new mta line being built between 92nd street and 95th street, they believe the rat infestation would not cease until the line is built and finished; which will be in 2018. Until then, they are forced to live around streets that seem to be “moving” because of the abundant number of rodents.

    6. “A survey didn’t find evidence of rats in the work zone near 92nd and 93rd streets, the contractor wrote”
    The primary research the reporter is describing involves a second opinion of the community’s assumption that the rats are a result of the new mta line. This information is helpful because there is no evidence indicating that the rats did come from the new train line, since there is not much evidence of rats being near the new line. This would raise more questions as towards where did the rats really come from. This is important to know because the community cannot solely base the infestation on the train line anymore.

    7. There are a few examples of metaphors and similes in the article.

    Metaphors
    “An army of rats is scurrying into apartments..” (This compares the abundance of rats to an ‘army’ or great number of rats.)
    “Residents’ squeaking recently spurred the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to look into the problem.” ( This compares the residents complaints as ‘squeaking’. Metaphor to the rats.)
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell” (This compares living with the rat infestation is like living in hell.)

    Similes
    “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,”
    “It looks like the street’s moving,”

    8. I feel disgusted looking at a picture of a big, nasty rat.

    9. I also feel disgusted to know that in manhattan there really is a great amount of rats, compared to the other boroughs.

    10. The unique function each medium serve is the visual image a reader can create by reading the text and looking at the map and picture about how bad the problem of rats really is in manhattan.

  22. MRivas says:

    1) The main point of the article is there has been a rodent increase in the upper east side of New York City, that may have been caused by the second ave. subway project.

    2) The medium that has the most effect was the text. This is because it gave personal accounts from locals on how bad the rodent increases has been since the construction has started on second ave.

    3) The text is the most informative because it tells us details of what is happening in the upper east side, with personal accounts, MTA info, and rodent experts. It provides the most information to see what is really going on their.

    4) The medium that gives the most emotional impact would be the Rodent Raid map because it shows areas, not only in the upper east side, that have a lot of rodent activity.

    5) “Lots of them will be killed during the construction. But lots will get away, and they’re going to be looking for new and better places to go.” This secondary research helps me understand that because the construction will most likely not kill every single rodent, that many will be roaming around the upper east side causing locals distress.

    6) “The rats had chewed wires under the Toyota’s hood, and started to build a nest from paper.” This primary research helps me understand that many rodents are looking for new homes that is most likely cause by their previous homes underground being destroyed.

    7) Simile- “It looks like the street’s moving,”
    Metaphor- “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,”

    8) How i feel when i look at the picture of the rat is disgust because of the things they get into can be dirty and unhygienic. They are not clean or safe to be around.

    9) When looking at the map, I felt disturbed knowing that many inspections in Manhattan, the borough i live in, has so many rodents more rodents compared to the other boroughs.

    10) Each medium’s function to serving the articles overall message is to provide more correlation to what is really causing the increase of rodents in the upper east side.

  23. 1.) The main point of the article is How bad New York’s rat infestation has become and how it effects its residents.

    2/3.) I think the text was the most informative AND most effective medium because it actually describes the ongoing issue. It also shows the contrast in perspectives between the New York residents and the MTA/ extermination/ construction workers through several testimonials.

    4.) The text delivers the greatest emotional impact because it contains testimonials from New York Residents who have seen and/or experienced the issue first hand.

    5.) – “A survey didn’t find evidence of rats in the work zone near 92nd and 93rd streets, the contractor wrote” this research helps understand that the construction might have caused the rats to migrate to other parts of the city which could be why sightings have increased.

    6.) “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say. Early on, rats ate through plastic packaging to get at food stacked on shelves. Now, the store stocks merchandise in plastic bins to keep them out, says employee Harsh Patel.” it shows how the rat infestation is becoming so intense that they’re starting to appear in the most inconvenient of places and its starting to hinder business’.

    7.) “‘My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” he says. “‘Check engine, check oil, check everything.'”

    8.) No immediate emotion strikes me when i see the photo of the rat but after some thought it makes me think of the unsanitary aspect of any metropolitan area.

    9.)When i look at the map i feel informed about where the most rat infestations have appeared and i become worried since i live in some of the most heavy areas.

    10.) the photos hook the reader into the topic of the article. The map informs the reader about where the issue is most prevalent. the text describes how the issue affects residents and provides perspective.

  24. Stephan B. says:

    Stephan Bheemsainroy

    1.) The main point if the article was that construction was affecting the rats and driving them away from their homes underground and into the homes of the residents.

    2.) “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,” -Tara Reddi, this shows the frustration of having the rats everywhere and having to deal with them for 5 more years. This also gets the point of the article across to the reader due to the frustration shown by the person who was interviewed.

    3.) The piece of information that was most informative was image titled “Rodent Raid”. This is because it shows the percentage of rats in specific locations in manhattan.

    4.) The medium that displays the greatest emotional impact on the reader would have to be Mr. Washington’s story about the time he had to take his wife to the dentist but unfortunately didn’t drive more than 14 blocks until he had to call for his car to be towed away.

    5.) The way the author starts off the article by saying “It looks like the streets are moving” helps paint a picture of what the residents are experiencing on a daily, or rather nightly, basis since this quote was referring to the nighttime.

    6. “T & Y Groceries on Second Avenue has been confronting rats since digging on the subway started three years ago, employees say”. From this quote I understood that these rats aren’t new to the area but they’re actually a reoccurring problem for these residents.

    7.) It looks like the streets are moving” and “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree” were similes. “An army of rats” was a metaphor.

    8.) It’s nothing new to me. Taking the subway can have its effects on a person.

    9.) After looking at this map I was shocked to find out that the population of rats was so dense in certain areas of Manhattan.

    10.) The image connects with readers who aren’t familiar with these rats and what they may look like. They may have an image of a cute little mice, when in fact these are huge rodents. The graph connects with readers who want hard evidence of where these rats are. The text connects emotionally with readers due to the many quotes used to describe the situation they are facing.

  25. 1. The main point of this article was the infestation of rats throughout Upper Eastside and how it has gotten worse.

    2. What got the articles point across was the map “Rodent Raid”. It shows the percentages of some locations, which proves that some areas are in worse condition than others.

    3. The text was informative overall, by telling us how many areas are not being taken care of. It also told us what should be done in order to get rid of this horrible problem.

    4. The story of Mr. Johnson gave great emotion. Showing us how this massive rodent issue can affect something as simple as taking a trip to the dentist in your car.

    5. “It looks like the streets are moving,” gives me a visual of how infested the Upper East Side

    6. “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,” he says. “‘Check engine, check oil, check everything.’’ This demonstrates how what some see as a “few rats” can affect the community overall but also individuals and their simple tasks.
    7. “It looks like the streets are moving”
    “My dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree”
    “We are, until 2018, in a living hell,”
    8. The picture of the rats comes to me as somewhat of a shock. I am thankful to have lived and continue to live in a location that is not with that big of a rodent issue, unlike others.

    9. When looking at the map, the percentages reinforce even more to what was said in text. Most of NYC is infested with rats but Manhattan takes the cake, unfortunately.

    .
    10. The mediums served greatly, helping those who read visualize rats in certain areas growing more each day, unfortunately.

    😀

  26. NathalyB says:

    1. The main point of this article is to let people know how much of an issue rats have become in the Upper East Side in Manhattan.
    2. The map “Rodent Raid” gets the point across clearer because it shows the reader how serious the problem really is by putting the different colors to show how infested the city really is.
    3. The Medium thats most informative is the text because the text actually gives you a lot of outside information about how the infestation has affected the residents that live there and the businesses around the neighborhood.
    4. The medium that had the most emotional impact is the text also because it talks about how much it actually bothered people trying to go on with their daily lives, like the man with more than 7 rats living under his car.
    5.”The public has the perception that if there’s construction, there’s going to be rats” With this we get to understand the paranoia caused by the huge infestation. By all means people just want this to not get any worse than it already is.
    6.The rats had chewed wires under the Toyota’s hood, and started to build a nest from paper, he says. The smell of urine was strong. Mr. Washington had told this to him, which is primary because he had experienced it himself and seen it himself. With this i can see that not only peoples homes and businesses are being affected, but other things too.
    7. Yes he uses similes “It looks like the streets are moving” “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”
    8.When i see the picture of the rat i feel disgusted.
    9.When i look at the map i feel creeped out and i want to stay out of certain areas of the city.
    10. Each medium in the article is used to get the complete point and severity of the topic.

  27. Angie Vargas says:

    1. The main point of the article is for the readers to recognize the amount of rats that are existing more and more out there running around, especially in the Upper East Side. Residents have opinions on this, which led to convincing the change in order to eliminate the massive amount of rats to get done hopefully by 2018.

    2. The medium that I believe is the most effective in getting the article’s point across is the text. The text describes in more details what is actually happening and includes the real life examples that has occurred, which makes it seem realistic. I believe the real life examples in the text can really catch the readers’ attention and will probably add some disgusting feeling towards imagining, if the real life examples would actually happen to the readers, themselves.

    3. The medium that I believe is the most informative is the map. The map describes the amount of rats that there has been throughout New York City with percentage. Specifically, it shows where the rats have been the least and the most, based on the lightening and darkening of colors. According to the map, the highest percentage of rats has been in Manhattan with 73.5%

    4. The medium I believe that delivers the greatest emotional impact is the picture. Just picturing a rat around your neighborhood that size is frightening and disgusting, at the same time. Also, by imagining rats around your surroundings can be scary enough to imagine that you have to be extra careful where your food is placed. The rats are capable to urinate on top of the food and eat the food.

    5. The line that shows secondary research that the reporter did is the following, “The infestation has left residents of the East 90s along Second Avenue with what they say is the worst rat problem in decades”. This secondary research helps me to understand the problem because it informs that the amount of rats that has been running around on the Upper East Side has not only been happening today, it has been happening for decades.

    6. The line that shows primary research that the reporter did is the following, “One morning, around 9am, Mr. Washington says, he had to take his wife to the dentist. But when he turned the key, the car started to shake and people on the street shrieked, he says”. The primary research helps me understand the problem because as this statement is read, I’m able to picture myself in this moment and how frightened it can be to have rats inside your car.

    7. The article uses simile and one of the statements is, “It looks like the street’s moving”, which describes that when rats run back and forth on the street, it seems as if the street is moving.

    8. As mentioned before, when I see the image of the rat, I feel as disgusted as it actually is. By picturing the rat who’s able to urinate on food when they feel like it and eating whatever they found, not knowing or caring who’s food they’re eating, makes me feel very disgusted at seeing rats.

    9. When I look at the map, I feel a negative feeling towards the city of New York and how much improvements all five boroughs need in order to eliminate or decrease drastically the percentage of rats existed in each borough.

    10. The unique function that each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message is that each medium is describing the article’s overall message in different ways. In order to spread the message around and encourage the readers to find the article persuasive in order to make a change in New York City about the rats, different point of views were shown and informed to the readers.

  28. 1. What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side”? The main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” is that rats are talking over the streets of Upper East Side of New York ever this problem hasn’t been this bad for years. The community claims that the rat problems have increased, because of the MTA subways.
    2. Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why? I believe that the map titled as Rodent Raid gets the point across because it’s a visual of the problem that the rats are taking over in Manhattan district 12 the most. It also shows us that there is less in down town Brooklyn and Queens.
    3. Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why? I believe the text because it gives a lot of quote of what the community has said regarding the situation its first hand information of what the people are living and the businesses around.
    4. Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why? I believe it is the picture and the text that shows the greatest emotions because the community shows their concern of the problem and the difference as the years have past. “I’m not saying there’s never been rats in this neighborhood,”….. “But it’s never been like this.” Which shows a great increase in rats. In the picture it just shows the nasty environment of the rats.
    5. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem? “It looks like the street’s moving,” says Mr. Johnson, who has lived on 93rd Street east of Second Avenue since 1976. “It’s just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became.” It helped me understand because its information given by the people living there.
    6. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem? “A survey didn’t find evidence of rats in the work zone near 92nd and 93rd streets, the contractor wrote. The MTA has been excavating a giant cavern beneath Second Avenue between 91st and 95th Streets that will serve as the launching area for a tunnel boring machine.” This helped me because it shows that it just started to increase by actual people who know what is really going on.
    7. Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them. Metaphors “An army of rats is scurrying into apartments..” “Residents’ squeaking recently spurred the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to look into the problem.” 
“We are, until 2018, in a living hell” Similes “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree,”
“It looks like the street’s moving,”
    8. How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat? When I looked at the picture it scared me because I don’t like rats. It also made me nauseas because it made me picture how many rats you see in the subway.
    9. How do you feel when you look at the map? I wasn’t very surprised that in Manhattan almost the Bronx there is more rats because the altitude of the land is higher in Upper East Side so most of the rats live there because it more dry. But also I felt depressed to know that we haven’t been able to clean up the places to decrease it population.
    10. What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message? It gives you an image of the situation by all the medium being put in article that gives you the sensation to worry about the situation. Also how its affecting the lives of the community.

  29. Janice says:

    1. What is the main point of the article “Rats Mob the Upper East Side” ?
    To notify people of the worsening infestation of rats in the Upper East Side area of Manhattan.

    2. Which medium (photograph, map, or text) do you think is the most effective in getting the article’s point across? Why?
    The Rodent Raid map was most effective in getting the article’s point across since it presents a detailed overview of rat-activity in specific neighborhoods in the NYC area.

    3. Which medium do you think is the most informative? Why?
    The text was definitely most informative as it explains why and from where the rats have appeared from. Manhattan had always been known to have rats in its city, but not to this extent. The text provides information, even from residents, of how the severity of rats.

    4. Which medium do you think delivers the greatest emotional impact? Why?
    The text definitely provides the greatest emotional impact since residents living with the raging rat infestation present their personal experience and view on the problem. A good example would be the car problem Mr. Washington experienced, with rats practically building themselves a home in his own car.

    5. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “secondary research” that the reporter did. How does this secondary research help you to understand the problem?
    “A survey didn’t find evidence of rats in the work zone near 92nd and 93rd streets, the contractor wrote.”
    This secondary research is based on a survey that showed no traces of rats in that area.

    6. Rewrite some lines from the article that show “primary research” that the reporter did. How does this primary research help you to understand the problem?
    “It’s just wild. You can’t imagine how infested this place became.” It was said directly from a resident living in the area and he explained in detail how it feels to live in an area like that.

    7. Does the article use any metaphors or similes? If so, rewrite them.
    Metaphor – ”We are, until 2018, in a living hell”
    Simile – “My dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree”

    8. How do you feel when you look at the picture of the rat?
    I feel disgusted. Personally I dislike rats or any of their kind. Growing up in NYC, you always see them around, whether on the train or outside, and that’s upsetting.

    9. How do you feel when you look at the map?
    Looking at the map I’m actually pretty shocked. Luckily I live in Brooklyn and always have. I never knew the conditions New Yorkers have been living in, especially for the prices they’re paying! Yet again, it is the city, and people litter and don’t take care of their city as they should.

    10. What unique function does each medium serve in conveying the article’s overall message?
    Each medium presents the facts in different ways. The picture of the rat was probably to remind us how unpleasant it is to have them around. Just looking at a picture of them is disturbing. The map medium illustrates facts and numbers for us to gain a better understand of how many rats are taking over and how what places are getting affected. And mainly, the text, brings all this information together. Explaining, using primary sources, how ridiculous the rodent raid has become.

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