Letter from Birmingham Jail HMHCO

Based on the rhetoric Dr. King uses in his letter, his intended audience are clergymen who are —

• confused by his efforts

• unfamiliar with his efforts

• disapproving of his efforts

• undecided about his efforts

Which statement best explains how Dr. King’s introduction of the four steps of a nonviolent campaign in paragraph 6 serves his argument?

• It justifies the need for nonviolent action.

• It shows the power of nonviolent action against segregation.

• It advances nonviolent action as a negotiation tool.

• It clarifies why nonviolent action is as effective as violence.

  It clarifies why nonviolent action is as effective as violence.

Read the sentence from paragraph 6.

There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community.

Based on context in this sentence and the paragraph, what is the meaning of gainsaying?

• Explaining

• Concealing

• Contradicting

• Resolving

Throughout paragraph 14, Dr. King mostly supports his argument for immediate action by —

• using logical appeal

• using emotional appeal

• establishing his authority

• establishing his credibility

What purpose do paragraphs 21 and 22 serve?

• They provide evidence to support a claim.

• They develop an opposing claim.

• They add emotional appeal to a claim.

• They use parallelism to amplify a claim.

What is the purpose of the allusions Dr. King makes in paragraphs 3 and 31?

Answer explanation

In both paragraphs, Dr. King identifies his ideas with great religious figures (Jesus, the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther), political leaders (Jefferson and Lincoln), and men who suffered because of their convictions (John Bunyan). By linking himself and his cause to these men and their causes, Dr. King is acknowledging the importance of his movement as well as his own importance to that movement.

Which statement best explains the rhetorical device Dr. King uses in paragraph 45 and its effect?

• The repeated use of parallelism imparts Dr. King’s mounting outrage.

• The logical use of appeals conveys Dr. King’s wish for better treatment.

• The forceful use of antithesis suggests Dr. King’s hope for societal change.

• The consistent use of overstatement emphasizes Dr. King’s observations.

A logical fallacy Dr. King addresses in his letter is that peaceful protests are bad because they lead to violence. What effect does addressing this logical fallacy have on the essay?

• It proves the point that oppressors never grant protesters freedom voluntarily.

• It reinforces the point that action can be effective even if it is nonviolent.

• It supports the point that white moderates are blocking the flow of progress.

• It makes the point that blaming protesters for the acts of others is illogical.

Which two statements best express Dr. King’s rebuttal to the opposing claim that his action in Birmingham is untimely?

• The new city administration will be as unresponsive as previous ones.

• The Supreme Court outlawed segregation in public schools in 1954.

• People must oppose unjust laws because they are used to oppress minorities.

• African Americans have waited in vain over 340 years for freedom.

• There are four steps to organizing nonviolent campaigns.

Dr. King compares just and unjust laws in order to explain why African Americans —

• have been afraid to protest laws

• are resentful of the judicial system

• have the right to break some laws

• are facing an unfair judicial system