“Resistance to Civil Government” by Henry David Thoreau
1. What view of government does Thoreau express in the opening paragraph?
A Government should govern as little as possible.
B All government should be abolished.
C People need government to protect them from foreign invasions.
DThe best government is a democracy.
2. What is Thoreau’s opinion of the Mexican war that was being fought when he wrote this essay?
FThe war is necessary to repel invasion.
G The war will help America assert its world superiority.
H The Mexicans will welcome American education and freedoms.
J A few people caused the war by using the government as their tool.
3. In the second paragraph, to what does Thoreau compare the government?
AIndia rubber
B A wooden gun
C A smoking gun
D A big machine
4. In Thoreau’s view, the practical reason the majority rules in a democracy is that the —
F system satisfies most people
G majority opinion is always the right opinion
H majority has more physical power on its side
J majority opinion is more likely to be correct than the minority system
5. What does Thoreau ask for instead of no government?
A An end to all taxes
B Increased trade and commerce
C Abetter government at once
D New elected officials
6. Thoreau thinks that if people want a better government, they should —
F withhold all tax payments until government improves
G go to jail to protest poor government
H speak out about the kind of government they want
J write to their elected officials
7. Thoreau’s main hope for the democracy of his time was that it would —
A disappear as people stopped voting
B progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy
C abolish poll taxes
D be one step along the route to a more perfect state
8. Thoreau suggests that slavery could be abolished in America by
F slaves rebelling against their masters all throughout the country
G one man refusing to support slavery and going to jail for it
H a group of honest men stepping in and abolishing slavery
J a compromise reached between the government and slaveholders
9. After Thoreau is jailed, he —
A loses all respect for the government and pities it
B is appalled that he is punished
C is angry about losing his freedom
D worries that he will lose his voting privileges
10. Thoreau’s primary purpose in this essay is to persuade people to
F call for an immediate end to the government
G rebel against an unjust war
H follow their individual conscience
J devote themselves to eliminating all wars
11. What is a paradox?
AA statement that appears self-contradictory but reveals a truth
B The repetition of initial consonant sounds in several words in a sentence
C A reference to a well-known place, event, person, work of art, or other work of literature
D A brief story that gets the reader’s interest and sheds light on the writer’s main idea and theme
12. Which of the following statements describes a paradoxical situation in the selection?
F “For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be. . . .”
G “I felt as if I alone of all my townsmen had paid my tax.”
H “It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West.”
J “I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward.”
13. What does Thoreau mean by the following paradox: “That government is best which governs not at all”?
AAll government must be immediately abolished.
B All government is inherently bad for the people being governed.
C Effective governments allow people to rule themselves.
D Government can never really control people; all power is an illusion.
14. Thoreau uses paradoxes because he believes that —
F contradictory statements never reveal the truth
G life is complex, so complicated statements should be used to reveal the truth about it
H the truth can always be revealed by using descriptive details
J truth can be revealed by examining contradictions
15. According to Gandhi, what are the two ways of countering injustice?
A Violence and jail
B Nonviolence and writing
C Smashing in the head of a lawbreaker and getting the police to arrest the person
D Violence and nonviolence
16. What does Gandhi mean when he says: “No clapping is possible without two hands to do it. . . .”?
FIt takes more than one person to govern a country fairly.
G You cannot have a government if the people refused to be ruled by it.
H You cannot accomplish anything without the help of many people.
J If at first you don’t succeed, try again.
17. Gandhi argues that government exists only —
A to determine and administer fair punishments for lawbreakers
B through the approval of those being governed
C to control unruly mobs
D to help people avoid unnecessary suffering and pain
18. The tone of Gandhi’s essay is best described as —
F calmly defiant
G furiously rebellious
H arrogantly superior
J sadly resigned
19. King justifies breaking some laws but upholding other laws when he —
A argues that the laws made by whites do not apply to blacks
B maintains that the existing laws are unjust because they are not applied equally
C argues that an unjust law does not have to be upheld
D claims that only laws made by the majority are valid
20. According to King, an unjust law is a law that —
F is applied unfairly
G harms some people
H cannot be enforced
J does not agree with moral law
21. King develops his arguments primarily through —
A comparison and contrast
B time order
C advantages and disadvantages
D telling a personal story
22. What paradox does King use to conclude his essay?
F Advocating the overthrow of the government strengthens the government.
G Respectfully breaking an unjust law expresses the highest regard for law.
H Anarchy is a healthy way to maintain a democracy.
J Laws that are not written down are not laws.
23. On hearing King’s argument, Gandhi most likely would —
A disagree because King advocates violence
B disagree because King talks only about unjust laws
C agree because both leaders say that you should be willing to die for your convictions
D agree because King advocates the right of people to resist
24. Gandhi’s arguments differ from King’s arguments in that Gandhi
F does not give examples of unjust laws; King does
G argues that everyone is obligated to participate in government; King speaks to blacks only
H claims that protest is immoral; King says that it is moral
J talks about unfair governments; King talks about fair governments
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT
Match each Vocabulary word on the left with its definition on the right.
25. expedienta. convenience; means to an end
26. pervertedb. eagerness
27. posterityc. inborn; built-in
28. alacrityd. generations to come
29. inherente. misdirected; corrupted
30.tumultuousf. disruptive, troubled