Comprehension Aid: "Roosevelt Press Conference"

Getting the Meaning:

• What is a press conference? Why do we see the letter "Q" and the words "THE PRESIDENT" in the margins? Why does it say "(Laughter)" at the end of some of the sentences?
• What did the President observe about the people who lived in Muscle Shoals?

• Do you think the US government has the responsibility to help poor people? Why or why not?
• You may have noticed that when you buy a soda in a large bottle it costs less per ounce than when you buy a small bottle. Sometimes a two-liter bottle can cost less than a 12-ounce can. In many areas of our economy, the more you buy, the cheaper the unit cost. At the end of this selection, Roosevelt uses this same reasoning to show that private power companies weren't hurt by the TVA as some people feared they would be. Re-read this section and then write an explanation of what Roosevelt is saying in your own words.