Question

the reading sections of college admissions reading skills to answer questions about the details and deeper meanings of texts. practice with these questions, which are based on paragraphs 9–10 of president roosevelt’s speech.
practice select an answer for each item.

1. why does roosevelt repeat the phrase “we must” at the beginning of paragraphs 9 and 10?

a) to express his certainty of failure
b) to heighten the urgency of his message
c) to issue a warning to his enemies
d) to connect two unrelated ideas

1. which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of paragraph 10 (“we must …own nests”)?

a) we must be careful of those who would act as our friends only to betray us.
b) we must be careful of those who would insult us in order to make themselves feel better.
c) we must be careful of those who would limit our freedom for their own benefit.
d) we must be careful of those who would rush into war in order to make money.

Explanation:

Question 1

• Option A: Expressing certainty of failure contradicts the purpose of a speech like Roosevelt's (aiming for action/success), so A is wrong.
• Option B: Repeating "We must" creates a sense of urgency, pushing the audience to act, which fits a persuasive speech context.
• Option C: The phrase is for the general audience (citizens) to inspire action, not to warn enemies, so C is wrong.
• Option D: "We must" is used to emphasize related ideas (urgent actions), not connect unrelated ones, so D is wrong.

• Option A: The paragraph's context (from "Four Freedoms" speech) is about freedom, not betrayal by fake friends, so A is wrong.
• Option B: Insulting to feel better is not related to the speech's theme of freedom and self - interest, so B is wrong.
• Option C: The "Four Freedoms" speech is about protecting freedoms. Those who limit freedom for their own gain (like "own nests") aligns with the interpretation, so C is correct.
• Option D: Rushing into war for money is not the focus of the "own nests" - related idea in the speech, so D is wrong.

Answer:

B) to heighten the urgency of his message

Question 2