Passage 6c: Thomas Paine, Common Sense
The sentence, "Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise," is an example of: (A) biblical allusion (B) apostrophe (C) antithesis (D) paradox (E) personifi cation
(A) biblical allusion Explanation: The sentence is a biblical allusion to the Garden of Eden, a paradise. When Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they realize their nakedness and have the capacity for shame, or a loss of innocence.
The major claim of the passage as a whole is that: (A) government is a necessary evil (B) government is avoidable in truly civilized societies (C) government robs men of their security (D) government is synonymous with society (E) government is unnecessary because men are inherently good
(A) government is a necessary evil Explanation: Government is necessary because men are inherently bad. Once their needs are met by society, they will turn on one another. So while government is bad, it is a necessary evil to provide men security
According to the writer, the suffering described in paragraph two is made worse by the fact that it is: (A) inevitable (B) self-inflicted (C) surprising (D) ceaseless (E) expected
(B) self-inflicted Explanation: The line "for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer" makes the claim that causing our own suff ering makes it worse
In context, the word "confounded" in line 1 most nearly means: (A) combined (B) destroyed (C) confused (D) refuted (E) frustrated
(C) confused Explanation: In context, "confounded" means confused in that some writers have confused society with government and as a result have not seen any distinctions between the two.
The primary mode of composition of paragraphs one and two is: (A) narration (B) description (C) cause and effect (D) definition (E) process analysis
(D) Definition Explanation: The mode of composition of paragraphs one and two is primarily definition, as the main purpose of those paragraphs is to define society and government. There are many constructions that are variations of "society is . . . ." and "government is . . ." Both are defining
The differences between society and government are presented as all of the following oppositions except: (A) wants and wickedness (B) aff ections and vices (C) intercourse and distinctions (D) encourages and creates (E) uniting and restraining
(D) encourages and creates Explanation: "Encourages and creates" are used to show the actions of society and government, but they are not opposites. They both mean "to bring about."
The first sentence of paragraph three, "In order to gain a clear and just idea of the design and end of government, let us suppose a small number of persons settled in some sequestered part of the earth, unconnected with the rest; they will then represent the first peopling of any country, or of the world," is the following type of sentence: (A) fragment (B) simple (C) interrogative (D) imperative (E) declarative
(D) imperative Explanation: The sentence is imperative because the construction "let us suppose" is a command.
The line "he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest" is an example of: (A) biblical allusion (B) apostrophe (C) antithesis (D) paradox (E) personifi cation
(D) paradox Explanation: It's a paradox because it is seemingly contradictory, but true nonetheless, that the man should have to give up his property in order to protect it.
The primary purpose of paragraph three is to: (A) defi ne natural liberty (B) classify the diff erent types of societies (C) analyze the causes of creating governments (D) describe the earliest society (E) illustrate what men can do together and how they need each other
(E) illustrate what men can do together and how they need each other Explanation: The third paragraph is developed by examples in order to illustrate what men can do together and their need for each other to survive. It illustrates the positivity of society.
The last line of paragraph one, "The first a patron, the last a punisher," uses: (A) apostrophe (B) oxymoron (C) simile (D) metaphor (E) personification
(E) personification Explanation: Society is personified as a patron, while government is personified as a punisher. They are provided human actions and attributes.
