The answer is A because a persuasive editorial usually contains reasoning, a clear statement, backup arguments to help the opinion/statement, and a response/covering of all possible counterarguments. Something you wouldn't find in a persuasive editorial would be a literal step-by-step sequence of events.
For question 18:
Figurative language is meant to be the opposite of literal, answer C is clearly figurative because the decision did not, in fact, resemble a storm in any place other than his mind.
