What is the impact of the author's choice to begin the article with these two sentences? We are often told that the world is going from bad to worse, sacrificing everything to mammon. But this righteous uprising in defense of God’s trees in the midst of exciting politics and wars is telling a different story, and every Sequoia, I fancy, has heard the good news and is waving its branches for joy. The author praises readers as moral, which makes readers more likely to continue reading. The author succinctly states his argument, which gives readers necessary information efficiently. The author establishes that the article is a narrative, which unfolds in chronological order. The author challenges readers, which makes readers question their own views on protecting sequoias.