I Have a Dream Speech Questions

Q: Martin Luther King, Jr. uses the image of “the valley” to represent

• a. justice
• b. bad times
• c. the future
• d. peace

The main focus of Dr. King’s speech is

• A. getting more money for America’s black population
• B. convincing everyone to live in peace and tranquility
• C. celebrating the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation
• D. ending segregation and racial injustice in America

Q:  In paragraphs four and five, Dr. King uses an analogy to illustrate America’s broken promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to “her citizens of color.” What is this analogy?

• A. A promissory note--a check that has come back marked “insufficient funds”
• B. A dark empty well with a bottomless bucket tied to a frayed rope
• C. A crossroads in a dark forest
• D. A vast stretch of sand occasionally interrupted by lakes--which prove to be illusions

Q: Martin Luther King, Jr. appeals mainly to his listeners’

• A. common sense
• B. desire for a better future
• C. sense of guilt
• D. concerns about America’s status among the world’s nations

Q: In “I Have a Dream”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., urges his followers to

• A. work toward gradual change
• B. demand equality and justice now
• C. use any means necessary
• D. distrust white people 

Q: Which repeated phrase in Dr. King’s speech has additional power because it is from a familiar patriotic song?

• A. “I have a dream”
• B. “Now is the time to”
• C. “One hundred years later”
• D. “Let freedom ring”

Q:  Dr. King’s speech does not incorporate

• A. repeated phrases
• B. quotations from songs
• C. thanks to distinguished guests
• D. references to the Bible

Q: Dr. King is convinced that

• A. dreams rarely become reality
• B. the struggle must continue
• C. equality has been achieved
• D. justice is a privilege

 Q: How did Dr. King appeal to his audience?

• A. He compared them to children
• B. He appealed to their sense of justice, fair play, and patriotism
• C. He reminded them of the homeland from which they have come
• D. He made them angry about their history by repeatedly referring to slavery

 Q: Which phrase is NOT repeated for effect during the speech?

• A. Let it/freedom ring
• B. …the content of their character
• C. I have a dream
• D. Go back to…