Im not sure but i think the answer is a...
you might want to double check
This is a persuasion. Where he says "To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information—from high-speed rail to high-speed Internet." he is stating the problem. Also where he says "I'm proposing that we redouble those efforts." he is prompting a solution to the problem. Overall he is stating the problem , giving the process and asking for you to help with the solution.
Empathy, because he is being helpful in his hard situation
Answer: 1. "It was idle, he knew, to get between a fool and his folly" means that it was useless and unimportant to make a fool understand something. 2. The fool is Hal. 3. His folly was his lack of good sense, trying to wake the dogs up. 4. John Thornton thought it was non-sense to intervene because regardless of the past warnings of the ice breaking down, he still wanted to wake the dogs up and continue moving.
Explanation: In the story, the team that is traveling towards their destination encounters difficulties to cross the river. John Thornton warns them that the ice is melting and that they might sink If they continue. Despite all the tragedies and losses the team has had in the trip, Hal ignores the warnings and tries to wake the dogs up. Thornton concludes that trying to convince a fool and his lack of non-sense is useless and unimportant since there is no way Hal will understand.
