Question

questions 1 through 5 refer to the following. (the following passage is excerpted from a speech delivered by a prominent african american activist and public speaker in 1872.) the various conditions of men and the different uses they make of their powers and opportunities in life, are full of puzzling contrasts and contradictions. here, as elsewhere, it is easy to dogmatize, but it is not so easy to define, explain and demonstrate. the natural laws for the government, well - being and progress of mankind, seem to be equal and are equal, but the subjects of these laws everywhere abound in inequalities, discords and contrasts. we cannot have fruit without flowers, but we often have flowers without fruit. the promise of youth often breaks down in manhood, and real excellence often comes unheralded and from unexpected quarters. the scene presented from this view is as a thousand arrows shot from the same point and aimed at the same object. united in aim, they are divided in flight. some fly too high, others too low. some go to the right, others to the left. some fly too far and others, not far enough, and only a few hit the mark. such is life. united in the quiver, they are divided in the air. matched when dormant, they are unmatched in action. when we attempt to account for greatness we never get nearer to the truth than did the greatest of poets and philosophers when he classified the conditions of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. we may take our choice of these three separate explanations and make which of them we please, most prominent in our discussion. much can certainly be said of superior mental

Explanation:

The passage is about the nature of greatness. The third - paragraph mentions "Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them". This is a well - known quote from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The author is using this implicit reference (as it is not directly stated but the idea is there) to discuss the different ways people can be considered great. The other options:

• Option B: There is no indication of questioning a philosopher's ideas.
• Option C: There is no mention of considering Shakespeare among those with "greatness" in the sense of evaluating his own status in that regard.
• Option D: The paragraph is not objecting to the "Some are born great" notion but rather using it as part of a discussion about different types of greatness.

Answer:

A. recognize an implicit reference to Shakespeare and agree about his importance