I Have a Dream

In August 1963, in which of the following cities did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., deliver

his “I Have a Dream” speech?

• New York, New York

• Atlanta, Georgia

• Chicago, Illinois

• Washington, D.C.

In the opening sentence of “I Have a Dream,” to whom is Dr. King referring?

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the

Emancipation Proclamation.

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• Abraham Lincoln

• Woodrow Wilson

When Dr. King tells his audience, "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair," what is he urging them to do?

• Move to communities where they will be welcome

• To feel hope that the present situation will change

• To help each other get over feelings of depression

• To resist physical force with all their might

In the third paragraph of his speech, Dr. King refers to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in order to

• remind his listeners that they should reread these documents

• show his critics that he is well educated.

• inform elected officials that they have violated the law.

• stress that certain rights are guaranteed to all Americans

Read the following excerpt from “I Have a Dream.”

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

Which of the following rhetorical devices does this passage illustrate?

• parallelism

• analogy

• repetition and restatement

• simile and personification

In his speech, which of the following courses does Dr. King recommend to his own people?

• to overlook the urgency of the moment

• to meet physical force with soul force

• to allow the end to justify the means

• to turn out in large numbers to vote

What does Dr. King mean when he says that one day “the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked places will be made straight”?

• Americans will enjoy a more efficient highway system

• National, state, and local elections will be fairer

• Racial discrimination and injustice will end

• Judges will be chosen on the basis of their merits.

Read the following excerpt from “I Have a Dream”:

We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. The words victim, unspeakable, horrors, and brutality exemplify which of the following?

• extended metaphor

• symbolism

• emotionally charged language

• historical allusion

Dr. King quotes from the song “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” in order to illustrate that

• minorities may need to use violence in order to achieve their goals.

• the United States was founded by people fighting for their freedom.

• Americans are extremely proud of their ethnic backgrounds.

• this country has many people who are unhappy with their lives.

Dr. King’s use of persuasive techniques in “I Have a Dream” is to achieve which of the following purposes?

• to chastise Americans for their failures

• to deepen people’s appreciation of their physical and social environment

• to challenge people to improve the civil rights of all Americans

• to urge a united front in the war against poverty