Read the excerpt from pat mora’s essay "the leader in the mirror." we will continue to squander our talent if our leaders—in politics, science, business, education and the arts—do not reflect our grand variety. i urged the students (and all of us) to ponder the strength of the mountains around us, to rise to the challenges. what is the author’s purpose in this excerpt? to warn to inspire to inform to entertain

to inspire

In the excerpt she says she wants the students and the audience "to rise to the challenges." Since she is asking everyone to think about their strength and rise up, she is aksing them to do something great that they might not normally think they could do. This is inspirational. She wants her audience to act on her words. In the excerpt we really don't learn anything so the purpose is not to inform. We also do not hear any words of caution, only action, so she is not warning the audience.

The authors purpose is to Inspire.

can you elaborate on what the question asks?

apprenticeships are formal, paid, long-term training programs that provide valuable classroom instruction coupled with on-the-job training for skilled, high-paying jobs.