Wartime Speeches, Passage 4

The writer wants to alter the passage for an audience that is unfamiliar with the topic. Which of

the following changes best accomplishes this goal?

• The writer should identify Muhammad Ali as a boxing great in the first paragraph for

  audiences who might be familiar and to amplify the gravity of his refusal to fight.

• The writer should add the definition of “Sweet Science” which is a term that stands for a

  boxer who can stay composed and strategic and finish the fight without taking significant

  damage.

• The writer should provide additional information about Michael Jordan and Tom Brady since

  they introduced these athletes in sentence 5 in order to give a frame of reference for Ali’s

  athletic greatness.

• The writer should provide examples of social media platforms and explain the influence of

  these platforms on the ability for athletes today to distribute their messages to wider

  audiences.

• The writer should identify who Lebron James is and then add commentary that explains what

  “just play basketball” (sentence 13) means in the context of the passage’s central argument.

The writer is considering changing sentence 4 (reproduced below) so that it clearly articulates the

passage’s overarching claim.

With the world watching, he didn’t box.

Which of the following versions of sentence 4 best supports this goal?

• (as it is now)

• With the world watching, he didn’t box in one of his biggest fights.

• With the world watching, he refused to box and championed his principles instead, marking a

  new standard for athletes.

• With the world watching, he drew attention to the philanthropic power that professional

  sports held.

• With the world watching, he reminded Americans of their patriotic foundation and became

  the face of the Civil Rights Movement.

In sentence 6 (reproduced below), the writer wants to use punctuation or formatting features to

ensure the meaning of the sentence is clear.

We were robbed of his prime because we refused a principle rooted in the Declaration of

Independence, religious freedom.

Which of the following versions of the text best accomplishes this goal?

• (as it is now)

• We were robbed of his prime because we refused a principle rooted in the Declaration of

  Independence: religious freedom.

• We were “robbed” of his prime because we refused a principle rooted in the Declaration of

  Independence, religious freedom.

• We were robbed of his prime because we refused to honor a principle rooted in the

  Declaration of Independence (religious freedom).

• We were robbed of his prime because we refused a principle rooted in the Declaration of

  Independence, religious freedom.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of sentence 8 (reproduced below),

adjusting the punctuation as necessary.

Great friends with Malcom X, he became a face of the Civil Rights Movement because of his

refusal to fight in the ring and his refusal to fight in the war.

Should the writer keep or delete the underlined portion of sentence 8?

• Keep it, because it provides information that helps define a key concept in the passage.

• Keep it, because it provides important context for a point the writer refutes later in the

  passage.

• Keep it, because it connects the specific topic of the passage to a concept with which the

  audience is likely familiar.

• Delete it, because it interrupts the flow of the paragraph with nonessential information.

• Delete it, because it uses language inconsistent with the tone of the rest of the passage.

The writer wants sentence 10 (reproduced below) to convey their perspective on the influence of

athletes, like Ali, as discussed in paragraph 3.

Sports are good lessons in dedication and resilience.

Which version of the underlined portion of sentence 10 most effectively accomplishes this goal?

• widespread

• subtle

• symbolic

• unexpected

• powerful

The writer wants to combine sentences 14 and 15 (reproduced below) into a single sentence to

maintain clarity and concision.

(14) Athletes have a voice, a following, and an impact. (15) That impact is shown in the standard

Ali set decades ago.

Which of the following revisions most effectively accomplishes this goal?

• Athletes have a voice, a following, and an impact; however, that impact is shown in the

  standard Ali set decades ago.

• Athletes have a voice, a following, and an impact, and it is this impact which is shown in the

  standard Ali set decades ago.

• Athletes have a voice, a following, and an impact even though that impact is shown in the

  standard Ali set decades ago.

• Athletes have a voice, a following, and an impact which is shown in the standard Ali set

  decades ago.

• While athletes have a voice, a following, and an impact, that impact is shown in the standard

  Ali set decades ago.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the passage.

In the months and years that followed, Ali transformed himself from being merely a boxing

champ to a champion of his people, speaking out against injustice and racial inequality.

Which of the following choices is the most logical place to insert this sentence into the passage?

• After sentence 1

• After sentence 3

• After sentence 7

• After sentence 9

• After sentence 12

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

The writer wants to add a concluding sentence after sentence 15 that brings the argument of the

passage to a logical conclusion. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?

• Other than Jackie Robinson, who shattered baseball’s racial barrier in 1947, no one can rival

  his impact as a transcendent 20th Century American sports figure.

• Even those who disagreed with Ali’s belief could not help but respect him, if not as an

  activist, as a boxer, and if not as a boxer, as someone that earned the respect of someone of a

  standard of virtue.

• While his achievements in the ring may have earned him the title of Sports Illustrated‘s

  “Sportsman of the Century,” it was Ali’s appeal outside the ring that made him the most

  recognizable and beloved athlete.

• Expressing himself with force and forthrightness, Ali became a magnetic embodiment of

  dignity and self-determination in sports.

• Ali saw his career suffer for his beliefs decades before NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick

  took a stand for racial justice by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.