Question

select the correct answer.
how does thoreau support his claim in this excerpt?
a. he uses measurable evidence about the number of people who have refused to join the us army.

b. he tells an anecdote about a townsman who refused to \march to mexico\ and what happened to him.

c. he uses reasoning, showing the logical consequences of supporting a cause that is wrong.

d. he shares statistics about casualties in the mexican - american war.

Explanation:

To determine how Thoreau supports his claim, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Thoreau does not use measurable evidence (like counts of people refusing to join the US Army) in the relevant excerpt.
• Option B: Thoreau tells an anecdote about a townsman who refused to “march to Mexico” and the consequences he faced. This is a key way he supports his claim about civil disobedience and opposing unjust causes (like the Mexican - American War).
• Option C: While reasoning is involved, the primary support here is the anecdote, not just logical reasoning about consequences in the way described.
• Option D: Thoreau does not share statistics about casualties in the Mexican - American War to support his claim.

Answer:

B. He tells an anecdote about a townsman who refused to "march to Mexico" and what happened to him.