The Beginner's American History by D. H. Montgomery (adapted excerpt)

The King's Order

In 1763, the war with the French ended with the English gaining possession of the whole of America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. This part of America was ruled by George the Third, King of England, who was now determined to send over more guards but wanted the people in the 13 colonies in America to pay the cost of keeping these guards. However, people were not willing to do this because they felt that they were able to protect themselves without help of any kind. Then the king said, "If the Americans will not give the money, I will take it from them—for pay it they must and shall." This was more than the king would have dared say about England; for there, if he wanted money to spend, he had to ask the people for it, and they could give it or not as they thought best. The Americans said, "We have the same rights as our brothers in England, and the king cannot force us to give a single copper against our will. If he tries to take it from us, we will fight."

The "Boston Tea Party"

However, George the Third did not really know the Americans, and he did not think that they meant what they said. He tried to make them pay the money, but they would not, and from Maine to Georgia, all the people were of one mind. Then the king thought of an alternate plan and arranged for shiploads of tea to be sent over to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston. He ordered, "If the tea should be landed and sold, then every man who bought a pound of it would have to pay six cents more than the regular price." That six cents was a tax, which the people refused to pay. When the tea reached New York, the citizens sent it back again to England. They did the same thing at Philadelphia. At Charleston, they let it be landed, but it was stored in damp cellars. People would not buy any of it anymore, so it all rotted and spoiled. In Boston, they had a grand "tea party." A number of men dressed themselves up like Native Americans, went on board the tea ships at night, broke open all the chests, and emptied the tea into the harbor.

Select the correct answer.
What is the tone of the passage?
A.
sarcastic
B.
dramatic
C.
frustrated
D.
accusatory

Excerpt from 100% - the story of a patriot upton sinclair 10 so peter walked along, with his belt drawn tight, and his restless blue eyes wandering here and there, looking for a place to get a meal. there were jobs to be had, but they were hard jobs, and peter wanted an easy one. there are people in this world who live by their muscles, and others who live by their wits; peter belonged to the latter class; and had missed many a meal rather than descend in the social scale. 11 peter looked into the faces of everyone he passed, searching for a possible opening. some returned his glance, but never for more than a second, for they saw an insignificant looking man, undersized, undernourished, and with one shoulder higher than the other, a weak chin and mouth, crooked teeth, and a brown moustache too feeble to hold itself up at the corners. peters' straw hat had many straws missing, his second-hand brown suit was become third-hand, and his shoes were turning over at the sides. in a city where everybody was "hustling," everybody, as they phrased it, "on the make," why should anyone take a second glance at peter gudge? why should anyone care about the restless soul hidden inside him, or dream that peter was, in his own obscure way, a sort of genius? no one did care; no one did dream. 12 it was about two o'clock of an afternoon in july, and the sun beat down upon the streets of american city. there were crowds upon the streets, and peter noticed that everywhere were flags and bunting. once or twice he heard the strains of distant music, and wondered what was "up." peter had not been reading the newspapers; all his attention bad been taken up by the quarrels of the smithers faction and the lunk faction in the first apostolic church, otherwise known as the holy rollers, and great events that had been happening in the world outside were of no concern to him. peter knew vaguely that on the other side of the world half a dozen mighty nations were locked together in a grip of death; the whole earth was shaken with their struggles, and peter had felt a bit of the trembling now and then. but peter did not know that his own country had anything to do with this european quarrel, and did not know that certain great interests throughout the country had set themselves to rouse the public to action. based on the author's characterization of peter in paragraphs 10, 11, and 12, which word best describes him? a) industrious b) loyal c) patriotic d) poor