Question

grade 9·unit 2·selection test \letter from birmingham jail\ by dr. martin luther king, jr. 10. the following question has two parts. answer part a first, and then part b. part a in \letter from birmingham jail,\ king expresses discontent with the \moderates\ who sympathize with but take no part in the civil rights struggle, saying: shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. which statement best explains why king would rather face outright opposition than \lukewarm acceptance\? a. he believes that as long as the moderates stand passively aside, conditions cannot improve. b. he believes that those who oppose the movement may persuade the moderates to join them. c. he believes that because opposition is violent, it does much more harm than passive acceptance. d. he believes that moderates who play no active role in the movement are secretly working against it. part b which excerpt from \letter from birmingham jail\ best supports the answer to part a? a. we will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men.... b. at first i was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. c. i have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the \do - nothingism\ of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. d. if one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place.

Explanation:

For Part A: King's main concern is that moderates' inaction (lukewarm acceptance) hinders progress. If they stand aside passively (as in option a), conditions can't improve. Option b is about opposition persuading moderates which isn't the main point. Option c says opposition is more harmful but King's focus is on inaction. Option d's claim of moderates secretly working against is not supported.
For Part B: Option a talks about the need for action (not just silence of good people - moderates) which supports Part A's idea that moderates' passivity (silence) is bad. Option b is about disappointment with clergy seeing non - violent efforts as extremist. Option c is about standing between two forces. Option d is about understanding public demonstrations.

Answer:

Part A: a. He believes that as long as the moderates stand passively aside, conditions cannot improve.
Part B: a. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men....