Question

read the excerpt from thoughts and sentiments
the longer that men continue in the practice of evil and wickedness, they grow the more abandoned; for nothing in history can equal the barbarity and cruelty of the tortures and murders committed under various pretences in modern slavery, except the annals of the inquisition and the bloody edicts of popish massacres
what belief does cugoano explicitly express in this excerpt?
○ there have been worse things than slavery
○ slavery is an awful and vicious practice.
○ slaveholders need spiritual guidance.
○ one cannot stop the practice of slavery

Explanation:

To determine the belief Cugoano explicitly expresses, analyze the excerpt: it describes modern slavery's "barbarity and cruelty" of tortures/murders, equating it to (or noting few things equal) the Inquisition's annals and Popish massacres.

• "There have been worse things than slavery" is incorrect, as the excerpt implies slavery’s cruelty is among the worst (only a few historical events compare).
• "Slavery is an awful and vicious practice" matches: the description of its barbarity, cruelty, and evil/wickedness in the excerpt directly supports this.
• "Slaveholders need spiritual guidance" is not mentioned (the excerpt focuses on slavery’s nature, not slaveholders’ spiritual needs).
• "One cannot stop the practice of slavery" is not stated (the excerpt is about slavery’s cruelty, not its stoppability).

Answer:

B. Slavery is an awful and vicious practice.