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

4
mark for review
in the context of the passage as a whole, the authors comparison between the qualities of
people and of metals (paragraphs 5 - 6) primarily serves to
a explain why some people are seen as great starting from birth
b limit the authors earlier remarks about greatness to a certain
subset of people
c challenge the audiences likely belief that the world is inherently fair
d reinforce the authors overarching claim about ordinary peoples
capacity for success

Explanation:

The passage discusses how people are born with different conditions, some achieve greatness while others don't. The comparison between people and metals (paragraphs 5 - 6) is used to reinforce the idea that not all people (like metals) have the same capacity for success. The author's earlier claim is about ordinary people's capacity, and this comparison supports that.

Answer:

D. reinforce the author's overarching claim about ordinary people's capacity for success