Questions 1-4 are based on thomas paine's common sense.
background information:
thomas paine's pamphlet common sense went viral, as we would say today, when it first went on sale january 10, 1776. the first
printing sold out in two weeks and over 150,000 copies were sold throughout america. paine's common sense was a no-holds-barred
call for america's independence from england. it is paine who is credited with convincing americans that war for independence was the
only option to take, and they had to to it immediately -- or else. thomas paine said, "some people can be reasoned with sense, and
others must be shocked into it. say a bold thing that will stagger them, and they will begin to think." for thomas paine, the pen was his
weapon and words his ammunition.
directions: read each of the following excerpts from thomas paine's common sense; then answer the multiple-choice questions that
follow by selecting the best answer choice.
excerpt #1
"in the following pages i offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense: and have no other preliminaries to
settle with the reader than that he will divest (rid] himself of prejudice and prepossession, and suffer (permit] his reason and his
feelings to determine for themselves that he will put on, or rather that he will not put off, the true character of a man, and generously
enlarge his views beyond the present day."
paine introduces his reasoning by
a asserting the fact that only people with true character will understand.
b getting rid of any implication of sarcasm.
c. explaining his position in such a way that only the educated elite will understand.
d. announcing that his logic will be direct and down to earth.
be
0.25 points
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question 2
"i offer nothing more" instead of 'l offer you many reasons' or 'l offer a detailed argument, because