Question

read the passage. there are several questions about this passage.
the history of woman suffrage is a six - volume work written by multiple authors over a period of 40 years. this excerpt was written by well - known activist ida husted harper in 1922, two years after u.s. women gained the right to vote in all states. however, many citizens were still unable to vote until the passage of the voting rights act of 1965.
from the history of woman suffrage
1
a voice in the government under which one lives is absolutely necessary to personal liberty and the right of a whole people to a voice in their government is the first requisite for a free country. there must be government by a constitution made with the consent and help of the people which guarantees this right. it is only within the last century and a half that a constitutional form of government has been secured by any countries, and in the most of those where it now exists, not excepting the united states, it was won through war and bloodshed. largely for this reason its principal advantage was monopolized by men, who made and carried on war, and who held that such government must be maintained by physical force and only those should have a voice in it who could fight for it if necessary. there were many other reasons why those who had thus secured their right to a vote should use their new power to withhold it from women, which was done in every country. women then had to begin their own contest for what by the law of justice was theirs as much as men’s when government by constitution was established.
2
their struggle lasted for nearly three - quarters of a century in the united...
part a
which statement best expresses the main purpose of paragraphs 3–5?

1. to explain that women were intelligent enough to deserve the right to vote
2. to show that few women understood that it was possible to win voting rights
3. to describe changes that eventually led women to ask for the right to vote
4. to demonstrate that women supported other causes in addition to voting rights

part b
select two excerpts from the passage that best support the correct answer from part a.

1. “in every other reform which had to be won through legislative bodies those who were working for it had the power of the vote” (paragraph 3)
2. “the founding of the public school system with its high schools, from which girls could not be excluded, solved the question of their education” (paragraph 3)

image: ida husted harper (1851 - 1931)

Explanation:

Part A

• Option 1: The paragraphs don't focus on proving women's intelligence for voting rights.
• Option 2: The text shows women did strive for voting rights, so this is incorrect.
• Option 3: Paragraphs 3 - 5 (from the visible parts) discuss how after constitutional government, women began their contest for voting rights, and changes (like public school system, other reforms) that led to them seeking the right to vote. This matches.
• Option 4: The main focus is on voting rights, not other causes women supported.

• Excerpt 1: Talks about how in other reforms, those working for it had the vote, implying women, lacking the vote, would seek it, supporting the idea of changes leading to women asking for voting rights.
• Excerpt 2: The founding of public school system (a change) where girls couldn't be excluded solved education, which is a change that led to women's progress and eventually seeking voting rights.
• Other excerpts (not fully visible but from the options) would not support as well as these two.

Answer:

1. to describe changes that eventually led women to ask for the right to vote

Part B