AnswersELA11 ELA 11 Sem 1 26-27Fireside Poets

Lesson Three: Henry David Thoreau - "Civil Disobedience" Answers

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What is Thoreau’s first thought upon being imprisoned in "Civil Disobedience"?

A
He is concerned about how long he will be there.
B
He wishes to get out of prison as soon as possible.
C
He considers the prison a foolish institution.
D
He wonders why he was put behind bars.
2
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Read the excerpt from a letter Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote while imprisoned in Birmingham Jail in 1963. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.Based on his behavior in "Civil Disobedience," how would Thoreau most likely feel about King’s statement?

A
He would believe that his reasons and King’s reasons for protest were completely unrelated.
B
He would disagree with King’s belief that one must accept the penalty for political protest.
C
He would believe that King did not understand the nature of political protest.
D
He would agree with King that one should engage in political protest peacefully.
3

Based on "Civil Disobedience," what statement did Thoreau, like his modern-day successors, hope to make with his imprisonment?

A
He wanted to show the great unfairness of the prison system.
B
He wanted to prove himself as a martyr for his cause.
C
He wanted to suggest that one should be willing to go to great lengths for a belief.
D
He wanted to suggest that imprisonment was the only valid form of political protest.
4

Which would be the best way of describing the overall structure of Thoreau’s observations in "Civil Disobedience"?

A
He moves from a consideration of his surroundings to an evaluation of the state as a whole.
B
He develops a critique of his jail cell into a critique of the entire prison system and justice department.
C
He uses the example of his case as a way to introduce his condemnation of the court.
D
He focuses entirely on his experiences while being imprisoned.
5

Based on his transcendental beliefs and "Civil Disobedience," it is most reasonable to assume that Thoreau

A
would have liked to create his own government, which would not require taxes.
B
was unwilling to follow any law created by the government.
C
believed following his conscience was more important than following the law.
D
wished to be completely separate from society and those around him.
6

Based on Thoreau’s opinion about the Mexican-American War and slavery in the United States, why did he most likely refuse to pay the poll taxes, as described in "Civil Disobedience"?

A
He desired to learn more about the government.
B
He wanted to expose fraud in the government.
C
He supported the government’s position.
D
He disagreed with the government’s actions.
7

In "Civil Disobedience," what is Thoreau’s last thought about the state before he loses respect for it?

A
He finds the state’s industrious locking of the cell door amusing.
B
He thinks the state can’t tell its friends from its enemies.
C
He thinks the state is half-witted.
D
He finds the state unforgivably timid.
8

Based on Thoreau’s beliefs and "Civil Disobedience," he most likely decided not to pay poll tax because

A
he could not afford to pay taxes.
B
he disagreed with the idea of it.
C
he did not understand the law.
D
he wanted to experience prison.
9

Based on evidence of his personality in "Civil Disobedience," what effect would a longer jail stay most likely have had on Thoreau?

A
It would have made him doubt himself.
B
It would have encouraged him to engage in other crimes.
C
It would have hardened his resolve to assert his rights.
D
It would have caused him to pay the poll tax.
10

In "Civil Disobedience," what does Thoreau think about right after he wonders if he could have been of service to his community?

A
whether everyone in the town is half-witted and dull
B
the significance of the wall between himself and others
C
that imprisoning him would not solve the problem
D
that he is truly the only person in the town to pay a tax

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