Question

you may well ask: \why direct action? why sit ins, marches and so forth? isnt negotiation a better path?\ you are quite right in calling for negotiation. indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. it seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. my citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. but i must confess that i am not afraid of the word \tension.\ i have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.
—\letter from birmingham jail,\
martin luther king jr.
what is king’s conclusion in this passage?
tension is necessary for growth.
he is not afraid of tension.
negotiation is better than protest.
he is shocked by the tension of protest.

Explanation:

To determine King's conclusion, we analyze the passage. The key sentence is "there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth." The option "He is not afraid of tension" is a statement about his attitude, not a conclusion. "Negotiation is better than protest" goes against his explanation of direct action's purpose. "He is shocked by the tension of protest" is incorrect as he says citing tension may sound shocking but he's not afraid of the word. The conclusion is about tension being necessary for growth.

Answer:

A. Tension is necessary for growth.