Walter Isaacson: "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life"

What sentence best represents the author's main point in the passage?

"Both sides too often confuse him with the striving pilgrim he portrayed in his autobiography." (Lines 33-35)

In the last sentence of the footnote, the word "it" refers to

"Meritocracy" (line 2 of the footnote)

What is this passage is most probably excreted from?

A biography of Franklin intended for a general audience

What does the final paragraph (lines 30-37) functions as?

A repetition of the views previously established

In lines 7-8 of the footnote, the author uses the phrase "somewhat ironically" primarily to

Comment on the apparent disparity between an author's views and social rank

Who does "they" in line 21 of the passage refers to?

Franklin's critics or those who possess reservations about Franklin's values

How in, the first paragraph, are people in the contemporary United States characterized?

Genial yet self-interested

What is the rhetorical device used in lines 8-17 ("we can... values") to convey Franklin's character?

Hypothetical examples

What is the main purpose of the footnote?

Introduce readers to an ongoing discussion

In the second line of the footnote, the number 31 most probably indicates the

Page of the Weekly Standard on which the reference appears

Which if the following is an accurate reading of the source for the quotation in the last sentence of the footnote: "social order that follows the principle of careers open to talents"?

Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971, 106.

What is the rhetorical purpose of lines 14-17 ("And we...values")?

Suggests that Franklin did not balance his pursuits particularly well

What is the misunderstanding about those who study Franklin as discussed in lines 35-37?

They believe that Franklin had fundamental faith that in fact he lacked