The Declaration of Independence

Jefferson included the second paragraph in the text to —

• A. describe why the colonists are fighting for American independence

• B. outline the political philosophy of government as seen by Jefferson

• C. describe how the colonial governments are working with Parliament

• D. illustrate how uncertain the colonists feel about their rights as English citizens

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Read the following sentence from paragraph 2 of the selection.

"That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

As used in this sentence, what does the word unalienable mean?

• F. There are expectations of lawful citizens in America.

• G. That religious beliefs dictate how free a person really is in a society.

• H. There are certain natural privileges all people have that cannot be taken away.

• J. That persons born in the colonies should not be held to the same laws as British citizens.

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Which phrase from paragraph 2 helps the reader understand the meaning of the word prudence in paragraph 2?

• A. to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men

• B. should not be changed for light and transient causes

• C. by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed

• D. it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government

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The list of complaints in the selection helps to reinforce the author’s argument by —

• F. providing evidence of poor treatment of the colonists by the British government

• G. showing why the colonists have had to break British laws in order to be heard

• H. showing the king how unfair all the colonial governments are to its citizens

• J. reinforcing the reasons for establishing much stronger colonial governments

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Read the following sentence from paragraph 26 of the document.

"He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people."

This sentence is an example of —

• A. pathos in that Jefferson is appealing to the emotion of the reader

• B. a logical fallacy in that Jefferson is using circular reasoning in his argument

• C. ethos in that Jefferson is trying to persuade the reader of his credibility

• D. a rhetorical fallacy in that Jefferson is overgeneralizing in his argument

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CCSS.RI.11-12.6

The author included paragraph 31 to —

• F. formally declare that the colonists no longer recognize the British king

• G. explain why the colonists have decided to go to war with the British

• H. show that the colonists have tried to work with the British government

• J. state that the colonists have reached out to British citizens for support

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Jefferson included paragraph 33 to —

• A. outline the plan for the new American government

• B. formally pledge the independence of the colonies from the British

• C. directly blame the British government for issues that they have endured

• D. ask the British citizens for help in working with the government

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Mark the box that shows which of the following arguments presented by Jefferson are fallacious.

• the idea that all men are created equal

• that governments exist to serve the people

• that the king is solely responsible for colonial unrest

• the complaint that the British people did not do enough

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Mark the box that shows which of the following arguments presented by Jefferson are not fallacious.

• the idea that all men are created equal

• that governments exist to serve the people

• that the king is solely responsible for colonial unrest

• the complaint that the British people did not do enough

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Which TWO sentences describe who Jefferson's intended audience is and how he uses the elements of an argumentative essay to reach them?

• A. To gain the attention of the British government, Jefferson outlines the duties of government officials.

• B. To appeal to the colonists, Jefferson presents a logical explanation of the purpose of government in the Preamble.

• C. To convince the colonists, Jefferson lists each instance in which the British have undermined their rights.

• D. To present his argument for equality to the British government, Jefferson presents examples of relevant legal decisions.

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