“resistance to civil government” by henry david thoreau web viewb a wooden gun. c a...

“Resistance to Civil Government” by Henry David Thoreau

1. What view of government does Thoreau express in the opening paragraph?

A Government should govern as little as possible.B All government should be abolished.C People need government to protect them from foreign invasions.D The best government is a democracy.

2. What is Thoreau’s opinion of the Mexican war that was being fought when he wrote this essay?

F The war is necessary to repel invasion.G The war will help America assert its world

superiority.H The Mexicans will welcome American education and freedoms.


J A few people caused the war by using the government as their tool.

3. In the second paragraph, to what does Thoreau compare the government?

A India rubberB A wooden gunC A smoking gunD A big machine

4. In Thoreau’s view, the practical reason the majority rules in a democracy is that the —

F system satisfies most peopleG majority opinion is always the right opinionH majority has more physical power on its side


J majority opinion is more likely to be correct than the minority system

5. What does Thoreau ask for instead of no government?

A An end to all taxesB Increased trade and commerceC Abetter government at onceD New elected officials

6. Thoreau thinks that if people want a better government, they should —

F withhold all tax payments until government improves


G go to jail to protest poor governmentH speak out about the kind of government they

wantJ write to their elected officials

7. Thoreau’s main hope for the democracy of his time was that it would —

A disappear as people stopped votingB progress from an absolute to a limited

monarchyC abolish poll taxesD be one step along the route to a more perfect

state


8. Thoreau suggests that slavery could be abolished in America by

F slaves rebelling against their masters all throughout the countryG one man refusing to support slavery and going

to jail for itH a group of honest men stepping in and

abolishing slaveryJ a compromise reached between the government and slaveholders

9. After Thoreau is jailed, he —A loses all respect for the government and pities

it


B is appalled that he is punishedC is angry about losing his freedomD worries that he will lose his voting privileges

10. Thoreau’s primary purpose in this essay is to persuade people to

F call for an immediate end to the governmentG rebel against an unjust warH follow their individual conscienceJ devote themselves to eliminating all wars

11. What is a paradox?A A statement that appears self-contradictory but reveals a truth


B The repetition of initial consonant sounds in several words in a sentenceC A reference to a well-known place, event, person, work of art, or other work of literatureD A brief story that gets the reader’s interest and sheds light on the writer’s main idea and theme

12. Which of the following statements describes a paradoxical situation in the selection?

F “For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be. . . .”G “I felt as if I alone of all my townsmen had paid

my tax.”H “It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West.”J “I think that we should be men first, and


subjects afterward.”13. What does Thoreau mean by the following paradox: “That government is best which governs not at all”?

A All government must be immediately abolished.

B All government is inherently bad for the people being governed.C Effective governments allow people to rule

themselves.D Government can never really control people; all

power is an illusion.

14. Thoreau uses paradoxes because he believes that —


F contradictory statements never reveal the truthG life is complex, so complicated statements

should be used to reveal the truth about itH the truth can always be revealed by using

descriptive detailsJ truth can be revealed by examining

contradictions15. According to Gandhi, what are the two ways of countering injustice?

A Violence and jailB Nonviolence and writingC Smashing in the head of a lawbreaker and getting the police to arrest the personD Violence and nonviolence


16. What does Gandhi mean when he says: “No clapping is possible without two hands to do it. . . .”?

F It takes more than one person to govern a country fairly.

G You cannot have a government if the people refused to be ruled by it.H You cannot accomplish anything without the help of many people.J If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

17. Gandhi argues that government exists only —A to determine and administer fair punishments for lawbreakersB through the approval of those being governedC to control unruly mobs


D to help people avoid unnecessary suffering and pain

18. The tone of Gandhi’s essay is best described as —

F calmly defiantG furiously rebelliousH arrogantly superiorJ sadly resigned

19. King justifies breaking some laws but upholding other laws when he —

A argues that the laws made by whites do not


apply to blacksB maintains that the existing laws are unjust because they are not applied equallyC argues that an unjust law does not have to be

upheldD claims that only laws made by the majority are

valid

20. According to King, an unjust law is a law that —F is applied unfairlyG harms some peopleH cannot be enforcedJ does not agree with moral law


21. King develops his arguments primarily through —

A comparison and contrastB time orderC advantages and disadvantagesD telling a personal story

22. What paradox does King use to conclude his essay?

F Advocating the overthrow of the government strengthens the government.G Respectfully breaking an unjust law expresses

the highest regard for law.H Anarchy is a healthy way to maintain a

democracy.


J Laws that are not written down are not laws.

23. On hearing King’s argument, Gandhi most likely would —

A disagree because King advocates violenceB disagree because King talks only about unjust

lawsC agree because both leaders say that you should be willing to die for your convictionsD agree because King advocates the right of

people to resist

24. Gandhi’s arguments differ from King’s arguments in that Gandhi

F does not give examples of unjust laws; King


doesG argues that everyone is obligated to participate in government; King speaks to blacks onlyH claims that protest is immoral; King says that it

is moralJ talks about unfair governments; King talks

about fair governments

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Match each Vocabulary word on the left with its definition on the right. 25. expedient a. convenience; means to an end


26. perverted b. eagerness27. posterity c. inborn; built-in28. alacrity d. generations to come29. inherent e. misdirected; corrupted 30. tumultuous f. disruptive, troubled

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