Question

question 17 of 25
read the following excerpt from a speech made in response to christian
missionaries in 1805:

you say that you are right, and we are lost; how do we
know this to be true? we understand that your religion is
written in a book; if it was intended for us as well as you,
why has not the great spirit given it to us, and not only to
us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the
knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding
it rightly?

which statement best conveys how the author achieves his purpose in this
excerpt?

a. he asks questions to challenge the beliefs of other american
indian groups in the region.

b. he uses the words \you\ and \your\ to indicate that the
missionaries practice a different religion.

c. he repeats the word \we\ to show that the american indians want
to work with the missionaries.

d. he asks questions that are difficult to answer to help the
missionaries understand his doubts.

Explanation:

The author uses a series of rhetorical questions. These questions are designed to make the missionaries think about the validity of their claims. By asking why the "Great Spirit" (a spiritual entity in Native American beliefs) didn't give the religious book (presumably the Bible) to Native Americans and their forefathers if it was meant for all, the author is expressing his doubts. These are not questions to challenge other Native American groups (A is wrong as there's no mention of other Native American groups in the text). Using "you" and "your" is just part of the speech structure, not the main way to achieve the purpose (B is incorrect). Repeating "we" doesn't show a desire to work with missionaries (C is wrong). The questions are meant to highlight the author's doubts in a way that is hard for the missionaries to answer easily.

Answer:

D. He asks questions that are difficult to answer to help the missionaries understand his doubts.