Lucas M. answered • 06/06/19
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Answer Choices A and C are the correct answers because Lines 68-73 describes how the US is “rendered a hissing and a reproach throughout the world, by this system which is already tolling the death-bell of her decease among the nations,” which most clearly matches Answer Choice A for Question 41 which says that slavery is “lowering the country’s reputation in the international community.” For Question 42, Answer Choice A is incorrect because, while it refers obliquely to the effect of slavery on the US, it’s less direct than C and doesn’t match any answer Choice in Question 41. Answer Choice B is incorrect because it only asks a rhetorical question about what’s appropriate for women to think. Answer Choice D is incorrect because no answer choice for Question 41 directly references it. For Question 41, Answer Choice B is incorrect because neither our Text nor the other given choices describe women disavowing their allegiance to the country. Answer Choice C is incorrect because, while one of the texts may seem to support this option, it does so weakly and hypothetically, not giving us enough support to choose this option. Answer Choice D is incorrect because neither our Text nor the other options say that the authority of the country’s government is weakened by slavery.
How to solve this? Question 41 asks, “In the passage, Smith most strongly suggests that slavery affects the United States by [...]?” Because this is a Paired Question, we should begin by going through the answer choices for Question 42, looking for any texts that tell us how slavery affects the United States.
For Question 42, Answer Choice A asks, “Will it be easy to convince them that it is no concern of theirs, that their homes are rendered desolate, and their habitations the abodes of wretchedness?” Although this question is only hypothetical, and doesn’t directly describe the effect of slavery on the country, it does discuss some kind of effect, that women’s “homes are rendered desolate, and their habitations the abodes of wretchedness,” so we should keep this option. Answer Choice B asks, “May we not permit a thought to stray beyond the narrow limits of our own family circle, and of the present hour?” Because this question only refers to what’s appropriate for women to consider, and not the effect of slavery on the country, we can eliminate this option. Answer Choice C asks, “Shall we silently behold the land which we love with all the heart-warm affection of children, rendered a hissing and a reproach throughout the world, by this system which is already tolling the death-bell of her decease among the nations?” Because this answer choice references the United States (“the land which we love”), slavery (“this system”), and the effect of slavery on the US (“rendered a hissing and a reproach throughout the world”), we should consider this a strong option and keep it as an answer choice. Answer Choice D ssays, “the events of the last two years have cast their dark shadows before, overclouding the bright prospects of the future, and shrouding the destinies of our country in more than midnight gloom, and we cannot remain inactive.” Because this answer choice also tells us about the effect of slavery on the United States, we should keep this option as well.
At this point, then, we’re unable to decide between the answer choices for Question 42 and have to use Question 41 to help us make a decision. Before going back, however, we should make a mental note of the meaning for the three remaining answer choices for Question 42.
Answer Choice A — slavery could cause homes to be “rendered desolate and their habitations the abodes of wretchedness.”
Answer Choice C — slavery causes the US to be a “hissing and a reproach throughout the world.”
Answer Choice D — slavery causes a “dark shadow” to fall over the country, and clouds its “bright prospects” and destiny.
For Question 41, Answer Choice A says that slavery affects the United States by “lowering the country’s reputation in the international community.” Because this answer choice matches Answer Choice C for Question 42, a strong option, we should keep this answer choice. Answer Choice B says slavery affects the United States by “leading many women to disavow their allegiance to the country.” Because none of our possible texts suggest that women would disavow their loyalty, we should eliminate this option as well. Answer Choice C says slavery affects the United States by “causing violent conflicts in many areas of the country.” This answer choice could refer to Answer Choice A for Question 42, so we can keep this option. Answer Choice D says slavery affects the United States by “weakening the authority of the country’s government.” Because none of our texts say that slavery weakens the authority of the government, we should eliminate this option as well.
That leaves us with a choice between Answer Choice A and C, or between Answer Choice C and A. We should focus on eliminating one option, thinking about which could have an error or insufficient evidence. Ultimately, because Lines 48-50 refer to a possible state of affairs that slavery could cause, an insurrection and subsequent conflict, and not something that’s yet actual, it’s a weaker answer choice and we should Answer Choices A and C for our correct answers.
