Question

1. part a: what is harrison gray otis’s purpose for writing a letter to hamilton?

a. otis is unsure of who to vote for and wants hamilton’s advice.
b. otis also dislikes burr personally and wanted to gossip about him with hamilton.
c. otis does not dislike burr and questions hamilton’s motives for doing so.
d. otis is unsure of whether or not burr is trustworthy as a member of the american government, and wants information from someone close to him.

1. part b: based on the text, what is the meaning of the word aggrandizement?

a. desperate attempts to get the approval of others
b. increasing one’s power and reputation
c. wealth
d. acting aggressively towards people who disagree with your opinion

Explanation:

Part A

To determine Otis's purpose, we analyze each option:

• Option a: The question is about Burr's trustworthiness, not voting advice, so a is incorrect.
• Option b: There's no indication of gossiping; the focus is on Burr's suitability for government, so b is wrong.
• Option c: The letter is about Otis seeking info on Burr's trustworthiness, not questioning Hamilton's motives, so c is incorrect.
• Option d: Otis is unsure of Burr's trustworthiness as a government member and wants info from Hamilton (who is close to political matters), so d matches the purpose.

To find the meaning of "aggrandizement", we analyze the options:

• Option a: "Aggrandizement" is about self - advancement, not seeking others' approval, so a is incorrect.
• Option b: "Aggrandizement" means increasing one's power, reputation, or status, which matches this option.
• Option c: It is not related to wealth, so c is wrong.
• Option d: It has nothing to do with acting aggressively, so d is incorrect.

Answer:

d. Otis is unsure of whether or not Burr is trustworthy as a member of the American government, and wants information from someone close to him.

Part B