nat 5 essay questions

• Apr 23, 2022

SQA National 5 English: An expert guide to National 5 RUAE

Note: the techniques and approaches listed are not exhaustive and definitive. Rather, they are based on analysis of the last 7 years of SQA RUAE N5 past papers and are only suggestions.

Before Beginning the Questions:

Before you begin the passage, always ask yourself two questions:

· what is the passage about?

· How does the writer feel about the subject?

The answer to the first question helps you with context, whilst the answer to the second question will help you identify the types of words, sentence structure, images and tone the writer will use. The italics before the passage will often offer a guide to these questions but do not always offer definitive answers.

Types of question

GOLDEN RULE. FIND WORDS FROM THE QUESTION IN THE PASSAGE. LOOK AROUND THEM AND YOU WILL OFTEN BE GIVEN THE ANSWER.

Understanding Questions

For the most part, these questions involve putting information into YOUR OWN WORDS . For a number of years this has been signposted in the question with the words, ‘use your own words in your answer.’

Your basic approach to doing this should be:

· Find the information

· Highlight it

· Put it in your own words

How do I put things into my own words?

There are a number of strategies for this:

· Substitute one word for another

· Substitute a phrase for a word

· Ask yourself: what idea is the writer communicating?

· Interpret/ quantify numbers and dates. This is something that candidates often fail to do but it is quite simple. For example, 1920 becomes over 100 years ago and 140, 000 000 becomes an enormous number.

Context Questions - rare

These are usually worth 2 marks. You should say what the word means(1) and how you know this form surrounding words(1). For the second mark, quote and say how these words helped you understand.

Question: Show how the lines 28-42 help you to understand the meaning of the word ‘Armageddon’

Answer The word ‘Armageddon’ means total destruction. (1st mark). I know this because he uses phrases such as ‘the end of the world is nigh’ which shows the word means the world would be destroyed. (2nd mark).

The underlined parts can always be used when doing this type of question.

Link questions.

Remember you can also get link sentences and you would just deal with them in this way:

1.You find the part of the sentence that links to the paragraph before then quote it

2.Say what it links to in the paragraph before

3.Quote the part that links to what is still to come

4.Say what it links to

Question 2019 Paper.. By referring to any part of the sentence in line 28 (‘The futuristic nature…, he says’), explain how it helps to provide a link between the writer’s ideas at this point in the passage.

Answer: ‘futuristic nature’ links back (1) to ‘space age’ (2) or a summary of this: the advanced technology mentioned in the last paragraph

‘didn’t understand’ links forward (1) to ‘didn’t know their purpose’ (2) or a summary of this: weren’t sure how to use drive-thrus as mentioned in the rest of the paragraph

Analysis Questions

These questions involve looking at techniques, using quotes, and offering explanations. When answering, think: what does it mean? Why is it being used?

One quote and explanation will get you two marks- one for the quote and one for the analysis. Language or style questions mean you can comment on any of the following. Try to keep your quotes short and focused.

Sentence Structure

Remember to be detailed- what is being emphasised? Also, you should remember to quote at all times. The underlined parts should always be used when answering these questions. Remember to quantify- ‘the amount…’ is not enough; you must say ‘the huge amount…’ etc.

Short sentence : bluntly emphasises its content, adds drama.

Example: The short sentence ‘There is a lot to be done.’ bluntly emphasises the writer’s belief that there is much work to be completed in combating these industries.

List: emphasises variety and number of things.

Example: The list ‘other cultures … climates’ emphasises the huge number of things that air travel allows people to experience.

Repetition: emphasise something- say what is being emphasised.

Example The repetition of ‘We need’ emphasises the idea that society as a whole must come together and fight these companies.

The above are the most likely features of sentence structure. Indeed, knowledge of the three techniques listed above would be able you to answer any analysis question from the past 7 years which allows you to comment on sentence structure.

However, you might also comment on topic sentences- the first sentence in a paragraph – which might bluntly introduce the topic.

You might comment on how sentences start ‘Originally … After that’ which might communicate a sequence.

You might also be asked about parallelism- where sentences are repeatedly structured/ balanced in the same way.

Example: ‘Don’t buy a baby walker, your t oddlers might brain themselves. Don’t buy plastic baby teethers, your baby might suck in harmful chemicals.’ This emphasises all the things they discourage you from buying and underscore their idea that there is threat everywhere/ everything is dangerous/ has consequences.

Word Choice.

You should try to say what the definition/ connotations of these words are and why they are used. Try to keep your quotes to 1 word if possible

Follow this structure:

context (he, she they, it)

2 connotations

Example: ‘crammed’ suggests they were kept in claustrophobic, unpleasant conditions

If you are dealing with imagery – usually a simile, personification or a metaphor – then there are two stages:

say what the connotations of the image are- give two connotations

say what connotations the subject shares with the image, again giving two but using different words.

Example: ‘ Just as a tumour is unhealthy, ugly and can lead to serious illness or death (stage 1), so too was London destructive to the country, filled with disease and unpleasant to look at. (stage 2).

Punctuation

Often a part of sentence structure but not the first thing you should look at. Look out for colons and dashes that come before an explanation- they introduce an expansion or explanation, a list or extra information. Say what it is a list of or extra info about. To find out what is being introduced, look just before the dash or colon.

Semi-colons split up a list, creating a definite break between each item. They also set up a contrast

Inverted commas show speech. The writer might use them to show they are someone else’s words and not the writers, to show a quote, or show the writer doubts what is being said. It might also be used to mock an idea

Parenthesis is a regularly used feature- it is information contained within two rackets, two dashes, or two commas. You should say that parenthesis is used to emphasise the extra information contained within the punctuation.

You should try and quote with these questions. They are similar to analysis questions but you should say how effective something is

Say it is effective and why using quotes as evidence.

Mostly, they ask you about how effective a sentence or a paragraph is as a conclusion- look for links to ideas earlier in the passage or even the title and state what they are. This gives a sense that the writer is summing up/ emphasising a point.

this is effective because…

quote (1 mark)

links back to _________ say what it links back to

earlier in the passage/ at the start of the passage (2nd mark)

This is effective because ‘in a different century’ (1 mark) links back to the mention of the 1970s and 1980s earlier in the passage (2nd mark)

You might also be asked about introductory paragraphs. Look for the following:

It introduces what the passage/ essay will be about- say what.

Questions compel the reader to think… or ask questions that will force you to read on to get the answers

Use of the word ‘you’ involves the reader

Short sentences/ powerful word choice.

Other types of Nat 5 questions

Attitude and how the writer’s language shows this

1/ say what the attitude is

3/ explain the quote

Explain what the writer means by ‘____________’

In this question, you should explain what the words mean. You will be helped to do this by the lines you are directed to. It is very similar to a context question.

We hope this RUAE N5 guide provided some great help and support to you and wish you well in your N5 English course.

If you need support in National 5 or Higher subjects you can book classes here.

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Our top 8 tips on how to write your National 5 English Critical Essay

Your critical essay is an essay that allows you to demonstrate your analysis, interpretation and evaluation of pieces of literature. Your...

How to Answer Close Reading Questions: National 5 and Higher English

English National 5 Essay Examples Available

The English Department have sent more resources for National 5 critical essay revision to this site for inclusion.

They take the form of exemplar timed essays on the novels studied in the course: Stone Cold, Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm.

Find them on the dedicated critical essay revision page . The PDF files are named according to: the novel they are concerned with; whether they are the first or second example (1 or 2); and each example is numbered into parts – (i) – (iv).

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NAT 5 Critical Essay: All My Sons - Arthur Miller (marked 19/20)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

9 September 2020

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This is a National 5 English A-grade critical essay which examines Arthur Miller’s play All My Sons in relation to the following question:

Choose a play in which the writer creates an interesting character. By referring to appropriate techniques, explain how the writer makes this character interesting.

This essay discusses the depiction of Joe Keller and the theme of self-interest versus social responsibility, and how this is presented through Keller’s characterisation within the play. Evidence from the play has been highlighted in light blue for easier use.

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• Past Papers

Past papers and marking instructions

Find past papers and marking instructions for your revision. You can search by topic and or refine by subject and level. To add the matching marking instructions simply tick the box.

We provide up to five years of past papers.

6 Past Papers found

6 marking instructions found, modified past papers.

Some of the 2022 and 2023 past papers are labelled 'modified'. This means SQA made changes to the question paper in response to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as part of our modifications to assessment in National Courses. For example, a modified past paper may be shorter, have fewer marks or contain fewer topics than past papers from previous years.

Some of the 2022 past papers are labelled 'modified'. This means SQA made changes to the question paper in response to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as part of our modifications to assessment in National Courses. For example, a modified past paper may be shorter, have fewer marks or contain fewer topics than past papers from previous years.

These modifications will stay in place for the 2023 exams.

Specimen question papers

Specimen question papers are available for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications. These show what a question paper looks like - how it is structured and the types of questions it contains. They also include marking instructions. Find them under 'Past Papers and Marking Instructions' on our NQ subject pages .

Digital question papers

Question Papers in Digital Format for candidates with disabilities and/or additional support needs.

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Creating your own assessment materials from SQA question papers

Our National Qualifications 2020-21 section has advice on creating your own bespoke assessments from SQA question papers.

Conditions of use

The information in a past paper may be reproduced in support of SQA qualifications only on a non-commercial basis. If it is reproduced, SQA must be clearly acknowledged as the source. If it is to be reproduced for any other purpose, written permission must be obtained from [email protected]

Where a past paper includes material for which SQA does not own the copyright, this material can only be reproduced on a non-commercial basis for the purposes of instruction in an educational establishment. If it is to be reproduced for any other purpose, it is the user's responsibility to obtain the necessary copyright clearance from the copyright owner. The acknowledgements page in a past paper lists the owners of copyright items that are not owned by SQA.

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SystemSpecs celebrates National Tech Champions at 5th Children’s Day Essay Competition finale

The outstanding young talents who excelled in the 2024 SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) were celebrated at a prestigious National Winners’ Award Ceremony held on June 14th 2024, in Lagos, Nigeria. For the past five years, the CDEC has catalysed promoting technological awareness nationwide.

The epic ceremony not only honoured the exceptional students but also celebrated the achievements of their schools and states, highlighting the importance of nurturing intellectual prowess and academic excellence among the next generation of leaders between the ages of 9 and 16.

Bakare Oluwasubomi of ljaiye Ojokoro Senior High School, Lagos State and Aletan Oluwajuwonlo of Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Ibadan, Oyo State emerged winners of the 2024 SystemSpecs CDEC in the senior category and junior category respectively.

The annual Children’s Day Essay Competition is a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of SystemSpecs, demonstrating the organisation’s steadfast commitment to fostering technological advancement in Nigeria. By nurturing and developing the minds of young Nigerians, the programme aims to cultivate the next generation of innovative thinkers and technology leaders, thereby accelerating the growth of the country’s technology capacity.

Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Group Chairman, SystemSpecs Holdings Limited, said: “We have taken the responsibility upon ourselves to provide every Nigerian child irrespective of creed, culture, or constituency an opportunity to be exposed to the amazing world of technology and its transformative power, thus setting them up on a path for success in an ever-increasing competitive world where technology continues to be a defining factor.”

With about 3,500 essay submissions recorded from various secondary schools all over Nigeria, 50 finalists were shortlisted, from which three outstanding contestants emerged in both the Senior and Junior Categories.

The senior category saw Anoje Xavier of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, FCT, emerge as the first runner-up, while Elugbaju Iseoluwa of Word Faith Group of Schools, Abuja, secured the second runner-up position. In the junior category, Olowookere Anuoluwa of Redeemer’s Academy College, Ibadan, Oyo State, took the first runner-up spot, and Gershom Somtochuhwu of Trinitate Staff School, Ikwerre, Rivers State, claimed the second runner-up position.

The overall winners for both the senior and junior categories received 1 million Naira each, the second prize winners, 750,000 Naira; and the third prize winners, 500,000 Naira, as well as brand new laptops, plaques, and a variety of other rewarding prizes.

The Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited (RPSL), ‘Deremi Atanda, affirmed the Children’s Day Essay Competition as a vital initiative dedicated to enhancing the country’s technological capabilities. He expressed his delight at the remarkable growth of the programme, which has garnered increasing interest and participation from across the nation, demonstrating its significant impact on the development of technological resources in Nigeria.

“We are committed to the long term, having been at the forefront of business for the past 32 years. We firmly believe that investing in local capacity building is crucial for the country’s global competitiveness. Our goal is to nurture a new generation of highly skilled, tech-savvy Nigerians, equipped to drive innovation and excellence, and make a meaningful impact on the global stage,” he said.

Lagos State emerged victorious as the winning state in this year’s Children’s Day Essay Competition, boasting an impressive 19 winners in the top 50. Meanwhile, Apostolic Faith Junior Secondary School in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, took home the coveted winning school awards in the junior and senior categories, respectively.

As a reward for their excellence, each winning school received 10 laptops, while the winning state also received 10 laptops, further empowering the next generation of leaders with cutting-edge technology. The evaluation process for CDEC essay entries involved a three-stage process. This rigorous evaluation process ensures fairness, credibility, and excellence in identifying Nigeria’s young Tech Champions.

One of the judges, Prof. Lawal Babatunde, said: “We assessed how effectively the students elaborated on the points presented in their essays, demonstrating a clear understanding of how the provided content applies to real-life scenarios pertinent to this year’s competition theme. Additionally, we sought to evaluate their ability to synthesise their arguments and arrive at a coherent conclusion, building logically on the points previously presented in their essays.”

The SystemSpec’s Group Head of Corporate Services, Bukola Adeboye, commended the finalists on their outstanding achievements, reaffirming SystemSpecs’ dedication to cultivating future leaders for Africa through the competition and other strategic initiatives.

“The 2024 edition marks another outstanding achievement for the CDEC, as we persist in cultivating ICT capabilities in Nigeria. Our singular objective for the CDEC is to facilitate Nigeria’s advancement through the augmentation of ICT capacity nationwide. We are convinced that technological innovation can be harnessed to drive progress across all sectors of the economy. At the SystemSpecs group, we remain dedicated to promoting technological awareness among the next generation of change-makers through the CDEC initiative,” she said.

By fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, SystemSpecs aims to empower the next generation of trailblazers and change-makers, shaping the continent’s future for the better.

The top students from both the junior and senior categories along with SystemSpecs’ executives

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5 Important Takeaways From The 2024–2025 U.S. News And World Report Best Global University Rankings

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Harvard University

This morning, U.S. News and World Report released their much-anticipated 2024-2025 Best Global University Rankings. These annual rankings are a cornerstone in the field, influencing decisions that range from student applications to institutional funding and providing a glimpse into the current state of affairs in the world of higher education. This list can provide helpful insights into the relative merits of the schools students may be considering adding to their college lists. In order to use this list effectively, however, it is important to understand the nuances of the ranking system and the factors considered therein.

Here is a breakdown of the rankings’ methodology, as well as key takeaways from this year’s list:

Methodology

The U.S. News and World Report Best Global University Rankings are based on a comprehensive methodology that evaluates colleges and universities across thirteen key metrics. These include:

• Global research reputation (12.5%)
• Regional research reputation (12.5%)
• Publications (10%)
• Books (2.5%)
• Conferences (2.5%)
• Normalized citation impact (10%)
• Total citations (7.5%)
• Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited (12.5%)
• Percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited (10%)
• International collaboration – relative to country (5%)
• International collaboration (5%)
• Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited in their respective field 5%
• Percentage of total publications that are among the top 1% most highly cited papers 5%

In addition to the overall global rankings and country-specific rankings, U.S. News and World Report published a subject-specific ranking list , evaluating schools’ global positions in over 50 individual disciplines.

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These rankings offer quantitative data students can consider when building their college lists, providing a fairly comprehensive picture of universities’ academic prowess and institutional reach. That being said, students using the rankings to build their college lists should note that many of these factors do not capture the qualitative aspects of students’ experiences.

Key Takeaways from the 2024–25 Rankings

1. The number of universities considered rose by more than 10%.

This year, 2,250 universities across over 100 countries were considered—up more than ten percent from the 2,000 schools considered in the previous ranking.

2. Harvard University lands on top.

As in the last cycle, Harvard University claimed the #1 spot in the global rankings list. This prestigious accolade reflects Harvard's unparalleled academic excellence, groundbreaking research, and global influence. Known for its distinguished faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and a tradition of innovation, Harvard continues to set the standard in higher education, making it the leading choice for students and scholars worldwide.

3. The U.S. dominates the rankings for another year.

Nearly half of the top 50 schools in the ranking are located in the U.S., totaling 24 of the top 50 on the rankings list. Additionally, four out of the top five are U.S. schools: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley. This remarkable achievement underscores the global prestige of U.S. universities, known for their world-class research, innovative academic programs, and extensive resources.

4. UT Austin and Brown University dropped in the rankings.

Both Brown University and The University of Texas at Austin surprisingly dropped in the rankings, falling out of the top 50. Given both schools’ excellence, this shift demonstrates the fierce competition for top spots in the rankings this year.

5. U.S. News and World Report adds new subjects to the rankings.

This year, four new disciplines were added to the subject-specific rankings, including: ecology; green and sustainable science and technology; environmental engineering; and marine and freshwater biology. These additions not only demonstrate the ranking system’s commitment to reflecting the most relevant information in higher education today, but also provide a glimpse into recent trends and changes in the disciplinary offerings at the most prestigious universities in the world.

The 2024–2025 U.S. News and World Report Rankings offer students valuable information regarding the trends in the global higher education landscape. While students should take their personal preferences and the intangible elements of a school’s culture that draw them to a specific school into account, these rankings can be a helpful first step for students as they set their collegiate goals and assemble their college lists.

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Fake elector case in Nevada dismissed over venue question, state attorney general vows appeal

FILE - Nevada GOP chair Michael McDonald, right, shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Jan. 27, 2024, in Las Vegas. A Nevada state court judge dismissed a criminal indictment Friday, June 21, 2024, against six Republicans accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 2020 presidential election. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

FILE - Nevada’s Attorney General Aaron Ford, left, and Matthew Rashbrook, a special prosecutor, enter the courtroom where Nevada Republicans accused in a fake elector scheme are being arraigned on Dec. 18, 2023, in Las Vegas. A Nevada state court judge dismissed a criminal indictment, Friday, June 21, 2024, against six Republicans accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 2020 presidential election. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File)

FILE - Nevada State GOP Chairman Michael McDonald announces President Donald Trump before he speaks at the Nevada Republican Party Convention, June 23, 2018, in Las Vegas. A Nevada state court judge dismissed a criminal indictment Friday, June 21, 2024, against six Republicans accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 2020 presidential election. (AP Photo/L.E. Baskow, File)

FILE - Judge Mary Kay Holthus presides in court in Las Vegas, March 4, 2024. A Nevada state court judge dismissed a criminal indictment Friday, June 21, 2024, against six Republicans accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 2020 presidential election. (Wade Vandervort/Las Vegas Sun via AP, File)

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge dismissed an indictment Friday against six Republicans accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 2020 presidential election, potentially cutting from four to three the number of states with criminal charges pending against so-called fake electors.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said he’ll take the issue to the state Supreme Court after Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus ruled that Las Vegas was the wrong venue for the case.

“The judge got it wrong and we’ll be appealing immediately,” Ford, a Democrat, told reporters afterward. He declined additional comment.

Defense attorneys bluntly declared the case dead, saying that to bring it now before another grand jury in another venue such as Nevada’s capital city of Carson City would violate a three-year statute of limitations that expired last December.

“They’re done,” said Margaret McLetchie, attorney for Clark County Republican party chairman Jesse Law, one of the defendants in the case.

The judge called off the trial, which had been scheduled for January , for defendants also including state GOP chairman Michael McDonald; national party committee member Jim DeGraffenreid; national and Douglas County committee member Shawn Meehan; Storey County clerk Jim Hindle; and Eileen Rice, a party member from the Lake Tahoe area. Each was accused of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument — felonies carrying a penalty of up to four or five years in prison.

Defense attorneys led by McDonald’s lawyer, Richard Wright, said Ford improperly brought the case before a grand jury in Las Vegas — Nevada’s largest and most Democratic-leaning city — instead of Carson City or Reno, northern Nevada cities in a more Republican region where the alleged crimes occurred. They also accused prosecutors of failing to present to the grand jury evidence that would have exonerated their clients, who they said had no intent to commit a crime.

“Crimes are tried and venue lies in the venue in which the offense was committed,” Wright told the judge on Friday. “Signing the document occurred in Carson City.”

Challenged by Judge Holthus to respond, Deputy State Attorney General Matthew Rashbrook argued that “no one county contains the entirety of these crimes.”

“Society is the victim of these crimes,” the prosecutor said. “Voters who would have been disenfranchised by these acts ... would have been victims of these crimes.”

But the judge decided that even though McDonald and Law live in Las Vegas, “everything took place up north.”

After the court hearing, Hindle’s attorney, Brian Hardy, declined to comment on calls from advocacy groups for his client to resign from his elected position as overseer of elections in Storey County, a jurisdiction with a few more than 4,100 residents. Those calls included a news conference Friday outside the courthouse by leaders of three organizations.

The state Republican party issued a statement welcoming the court decision, pointing to Ford’s vow to appeal and asking for contributions to continue the court fight.

Meehan is the only defendant not to have been named by the state party as Nevada delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention next month in Milwaukee. His defense attorney, Sigal Chattah, said her client chose not to seek the position. Chattah ran as a Republican in 2022 for state attorney general and lost to Ford by just under 8% of the vote.

Nevada is one of seven presidential battleground states where slates of fake electors falsely certified that Trump had won in 2020 , not Democrat Joe Biden. Others are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Nevada’s case, filed last December, focused on the actions of six defendants. Criminal cases in three other states focus on many more — 16 in Michigan , 19 in Georgia and 18 in Arizona .

Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer who pleaded guilty in Georgia last October to helping orchestrate the Trump campaign fake elector scheme in 2020, cooperated with prosecutors in the Nevada criminal investigation and was not charged.

In testimony before the grand jury that met in Las Vegas in November, Chesebro said he provided the state GOP with an “organized step-by-step explanation of what they would have to do” to sign and submit certificates falsely stating that Trump, not Biden, won in Nevada.

He also called Nevada “extremely problematic” to the fake elector plot, compared with other states, because the meeting of electors was overseen by the secretary of state. Also, unlike other states, Nevada did not have a legal challenge pending in courts at the time.

Trump lost Nevada in 2020 by more than 30,000 votes to Biden and the state’s Democratic electors certified the results in the presence of Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican. Her defense of the results as reliable and accurate led the state GOP to censure her , but Cegavske later conducted an investigation that found no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state.

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How to Deal With the National Trauma of Jan. 6

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To the Editor:

Re “ In Search of the Lost Altar of Oblivion ,” by Linda Kinstler (Opinion guest essay, June 16), about how America is still processing the events of Jan. 6 and other traumas:

Like Dr. Kinstler, I too have been unable to find any surviving trace of an “altar of oblivion” at the Acropolis in Athens. Perhaps the plain answer is that there never was one. After all, the ancient Athenians were far too smart to erect an architectural contradiction in terms — a memorial to the very act of forgetting.

But forgetting is what oblivion is all about, and oblivion — not for themselves but for inconvenient truths — is what careerist politicians then and now have always craved, eager as they are to sweep embarrassing facts under history’s carpet.

Indeed, the oblivion that Dr. Kinstler celebrates, claiming that it would serve as a fitting model for our own political behavior today, led to the execution of Socrates, a man many Athenians wanted out of the way because he believed in truth and didn’t readily suffer phoniness and fools.

Remembering the Jan. 6 insurrection in all its ugliness, not forgetting it and naïvely moving on, is precisely what America needs if we are to preserve a democracy worth saving.

Stephen Bertman West Bloomfield, Mich. The writer is professor emeritus of classics at the University of Windsor in Ontario and the author of “Cultural Amnesia: America’s Future and the Crisis of Memory.”

While Linda Kinstler’s essay is creative, it isn’t quite persuasive for several reasons. One is scale: Two examples she cites — the Revolutionary War and the Civil War — were yearslong conflicts that directly affected the entire country, so an act of oblivion could justly be seen as the only way that the nation could move on.

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