Question

read the excerpt from the interview with e.y. (yip) harburg. this is the man who says: i built the railroads. i built that tower. i fought your wars. i was the kid with the drum. why the hell should i be standing in line now? what happened to all this wealth i created? in this excerpt, harburg explains that his song is giving a voice to the average american family man. the working class and the veterans. the business men who lost everything. the lower classes of society.

Explanation:

The excerpt shows a person who built railroads (working - class labor), built a tower (working - class labor), fought wars (veteran), and now is in a difficult situation. The first option, “average American family man” is too broad and not specific to the labor and veteran aspects. The third option, “business men who lost everything” is incorrect as the person describes creating wealth through labor, not business. The fourth option, “lower classes of society” is too general. The second option, “the working class and the veterans” fits as the person's actions (building railroads, tower - working class; fighting wars - veteran) and their current situation are represented.

Answer:

B. the working class and the veterans.