Question

read the excerpt from the song, \brother, can you spare a dime?\
they used to tell me i was building a dream,
and so i followed the mob—
when there was earth to plow, or guns to bear
i was always there—right on the job.
they used to tell me i was building a dream
with peace and glory ahead—
based on this excerpt and your knowledge of american history, why did the stock market crash make americans lose confidence in business?
○ following the mob without asking questions can potentially lead to financial or emotional devastation.
○ people worked diligently to participate in the building of the american dream with the understanding they would profit.
○ the promise of peace and glory compelled many people to work for the wealthy and make them richer
○ instead of plowing the fields and going to war, american should have gone to college.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the excerpt and historical context. The song excerpt talks about people working to build the American dream (implying they expected rewards like profit). The stock market crash shattered these expectations. Let's evaluate each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt is about working for the dream, not blindly following the mob. So this is incorrect.
• Option 2: People worked hard (as seen in "I was always there—right on the job") to build the American dream, expecting to profit. The crash made them realize their efforts didn't yield the promised rewards, so they lost confidence. This matches.
• Option 3: The excerpt doesn't mention working for the wealthy to make them richer. It's about building their own dream. So incorrect.
• Option 4: The excerpt and the question about business confidence have nothing to do with going to college. Incorrect.

Answer:

B. People worked diligently to participate in the building of the American dream with the understanding they would profit.