After the “asteroid facts”, the article attains a conversational tone through the questions and answers displayed. The questions are answered in short, clear answers so that ideas are conveyed to readers using a lucid diction. Phrases like “our being hit by a large asteroid in the future is a certainty” and “there is no best way” reinforce a sense of negativity, visible from the title and opening paragraph, especially through the negative adjective “no” and the reassurance through the word “certainty”. It adds to the alarmed mood of the article as the reader feels the immense danger faced by the earth.
In addition to this, the writer further explains the impact through his detailed description of the effects. The descriptive diction used in the phrases “ hunters were knocked unconscious and thrown to the ground by the blast”, “it felled trees and stripped them of branches”, “ destroy the ozone layer”, “predicting what would live and what might die is difficult” and the comparison of the “devastation” which would “cover an area approximately the size of Greater London” creates vivid images for the readers to perceive the reality and devastation of an asteroid impact. The destruction of nature projected through the verbs “felled” and “Stripped” reflect the ruin that would be seen on the earth. It is more like a symbol of what would be the state of the earth as an effect of an asteroid visiting us.
Moreover, the writer includes direct speech of Bill Napier, an astronomer from Armagh Observatory who claims “there would be a massive destruction of the atmosphere” and “the tsunami caused by this would be disastrous for cities around the Atlantic rim” stressing on the impending danger of the asteroids which is explored throughout the article. Again, words like “destruction” and “disastrous” are repeated, emphasizing on the inexplicable harm that would happen to the earth. The quotation of words from this famous man helps increase the authentic tone of the article as the details and facts stated are displayed as real and certain. This also helps to have the reader more involved as they’re made certain that details in the article aren’t biased.
The writer also writes in third person narration not just to involve the whole world but also to appeal to the protective side of the people through the phrase “our being hit is a certainty”, raising the concerns of the people to their lives which would be destroyed if something happens to the earth we live in.
The conclusion of the article is very unusual as the ending sentence holds “so although the human race would survive, the biggest question is: could civilization?” The rhetorical question in the end leaves a lot of questions unanswered as the topic is revealed to be an unending debate about whether life would end this way or not. It also suggests the ongoing devastation of the impact as its not certain how “disastrous” it would be.
In conclusion, the writer explicitly succeeds in spreading awareness of the topic as he ensures to grasp the attention of many and sustain their interest till the very end.