State of the Union Speech 1962
by John F. Kennedy (excerpt)

Members of the Congress, the Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress. We are all trustees for the American people, custodians of the American heritage. It is my task to report the State of the Union--to improve it is the task of us all.

In the past year, I have traveled not only across our own land but to other lands-to the North and the South, and across the seas. And I have found--as I am sure you have, in your travels--that people everywhere, in spite of occasional disappointments, look to us--not to our wealth or power, but to the splendor of our ideals. For our Nation is commissioned by history to be either an observer of freedom's failure or the cause of its success. Our overriding obligation in the months ahead is to fulfill the world's hopes by fulfilling our own faith.

2
Select the correct answer.
Which statement best identifies the author’s purpose in the excerpt?

A.
to explain the goals of the administration
B.
to motivate Congress to work together
C.
to report on the current condition
D.
to remind Congress about its history