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Thoreau Trivia

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The name of the author is . . . .

a)

David Henry Thoreau

b)

Henry David Thoreau

c)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

d)

Edgar Allen Poe

2.

The author advocated. . . and. . .

a)

studying nature

b)

rejected a lifestyle dedicated to the pursuit of wealth

c)

simple, mindful living

d)

studying law

3.

The author was born and raised in . . .

a)

Boston, Massachusetts

b)

Detroit, Michigan

c)

Concord, Massachusetts

d)

Houston, Texas

4.

Thoreau was remembered as one of the first. . .

a)

enviornomentalist

b)

economist

c)

politician

d)

conformist

5.

One example of Thoreau's nonconformity was . . . .

a)

when he conspired with Alexander Hamilton to overthrow the government.

b)

while at Harvard, he was supposed to wear a black coat but he wore a green one instead.

c)

when he wrote his Manifesto Destiny at Walden Pond.

d)

when he ran for president of the US.

6.

Thoreau promoted. . . protest.

a)

malevolent

b)

violent

c)

nonviolent

d)

angry

7.

Thoreau served as an example for . . .

a)

F. Scott Fitzgerald

b)

Malcom X

c)

John Muir

d)

Martin Luther King Jr.

8.

The picture on page 391 shows just shadows because

a)

he or she didn't know what their faces looked like.

b)

they are no longer individuals distinguished by wealth, race, age or gender.

c)

the people moved and the picture was blurry.

d)

the photographer wanted to equalize the people in the crowd.

9.

Thoreau spent a night in jail because. . .

a)

he didn't pay his child support.

b)

he didn't pay his taxes to the IRS.

c)

he refused to pay a poll tax.

d)

he had committed grand theft.

10.

A poll tax was a tax charged by the government so a citizen could vote.

a)

true

b)

false

c)

False, it was a tax for owning polls.

11.

Thoreau was enraged by the government's support of

a)

slavery

b)

England

c)

Mexican immigrants

d)

its war against Mexico

12.

When Thoreau said, "that government is best which governs least," he was in favor of. . .

a)

big government, less choice for the people

b)

little government, more choice by the people

c)

foreign governments making decisions

13.

Sometimes writers make statements known as . . . which are false or misleading.

a)

fake news

b)

illogical truths

c)

logical fallacies

d)

logical opinions

14.

According to Thoreau, what should be respected more than the law?

a)

all governments regardless of where they were

b)

one's opinion

c)

one's conscience or sense of right & wrong

d)

all laws should ALWAYS be respected

15.

According to Thoreau, what should a citizen do about an unjust law?

a)

disobey it

b)

obey it but try to get it changed

c)

disobey it and go to war to fight it

d)

obey it but secretly try to overthrow the government

16.

Citizens can serve the state in what three ways?

a)

with their bodies

b)

with their hearts

c)

with their minds

d)

with their consciences

e)

with their money

17.

How long did Thoreau NOT pay his poll tax?

a)

one year

b)

six months

c)

30 years

d)

six years

18.

How long was Thoreau in jail?

a)

one night

b)

one year

c)

a year and a 1/2

d)

30 years

19.

What are black arts?

a)

Magic or voodoo; mystical sinister practices

b)

art work made by Black people

c)

use of black paint in artwork

d)

use of black chalk for stencils

20.

What does CONNOTATION mean?

a)

the dictionary definition of a word

b)

the primary meaning of a word

c)

secondary meaning of a word

d)

use of a thesaurus

21.

What was a "posse comitatus?"

a)

your group of friends you are always around

b)

a group of Native people

c)

a group of people called on by a sheriff to enforce the law

d)

a group of indigenous people who enforce the law on their reservation

22.

What is a MILITIA?

a)

the actual US army

b)

a military force that is raised from the civil population

c)

people who decide to take the law into their own hands legally

d)

any foreign armies that are deputized

23.

What does EXPEDIENT mean?

a)

inconvenient and impractical

b)

convenient and practical

c)

illogical fallacies

d)

what makes the least sense

24.

What does RHETORICAL mean?

a)

a way to confuse people

b)

a statement meant to make you give a direct answer

c)

A question asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information

d)

pretzular thinking

25.

What does IMPETUS mean?

a)

the force that makes something happen

b)

something that blocks things from moving forward

c)

a word that means the opposite

d)

a person that isn't very bright