Questions 1-12 in this section are about grammar topics learned…

ProfessorBaboon1395
Questions 1-12 in this section are about grammar topics learned…

Questions 1-12 in this section are about grammar topics learned this year. 

 

Question 1 (1 point)

 

 

Saved

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the preposition in the following sentence:

 

After lunch, Isaac took a walk.

Question 1 options:

 

After

 

lunch

 

took

 

walk

 

Question 2 (1 point)

 

 

Saved

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the preposition in the following sentence:

 

Noah cheered with his team.

Question 2 options:

 

Noah

 

cheered

 

with

 

team

 

Question 3 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the word, clause, or phrase modified by the underlined word(s).

 

Spilled all over Draco Malfoy’s floor,the sparkling apple cider started to get sticky.

Question 3 options:

 

Draco Malfoy

 

floor

 

sparkling apple cider 

 

Question 4 (1 point)

 

 

Saved

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the word, clause, or phrase modified by the underlined word(s).

Hagrid spoke fondly of his experience at space camp.

Question 4 options:

 

spoke

 

of his experience

 

at space camp

 

Question 5 (1 point)

 

 

Saved

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it is written, this sentence contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. What does the sentence below suggest as a result of the error?

 

At the zoo, Nala gave the cupcake to the gorilla with vanilla frosting.

Question 5 options:

 

There was frosting with the cupcake. 

 

There was frosting with the gorilla.

 

Question 6 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it is written, this sentence contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. What does the sentence below suggest as a result of the error?

 

In the cage, Billy Gibson reached for his hamster.

Question 6 options:

 

Billy Gibson is in the cage.

 

The hamster is in the cage.

 

Question 7 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it is written, this sentence contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. What does the sentence below suggest as a result of the error?

 

Vincent Crabbe’s sunflowers blossom every summer by putting sugar in the soil. 

Question 7 options:

 

The sunflowers put sugar in the soil.

 

Vincent Crabbe puts sugar in the soil. 

 

Question 8 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which of the following choices fixes the capitalization or punctuation errors in the following sentence? 

 

Sirius Black had to wear a polka-dotted shirt to the party; Also, he had to find his matching purple pants.

Question 8 options:

 

Sirius Black had to wear a polka-dotted shirt to the party, also he had to find his matching purple pants.

 

Sirius Black had to wear a polka-dotted shirt to the party: also he had to find his matching purple pants.

 

Sirius Black had to wear a polka-dotted shirt to the party. Also, he had to find his matching purple pants.

 

Question 9 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which of the following choices fixes the capitalization or punctuation errors in the following sentence? 

 

Stanly loved playing soccer thus he also enjoyed running.

Question 9 options:

 

Stanley loved playing soccer, thus, he also enjoyed running.

 

Stanley loved playing soccer. Thus, he also enjoyed running.

 

Stanley loved playing soccer: thus he also enjoyed running.

 

Question 10 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which of the following choices fixes the capitalization or punctuation errors in the following sentence? 

 

Albert has always disliked Phil. Inviting him to the party; therefore would be a bad idea.

Question 10 options:

 

Albert has always disliked Phil. Inviting him to the party, therefore, would be a bad idea.

 

Albert has always disliked Phil, inviting him to the party, therefore, would be a bad idea.

 

Albert has always disliked Phil. Inviting him to the party: therefore would be a bad idea.

 

Question 11 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which of the following words makes up the object of the prepositional phrase in the following sentence?

 

Zazu always visits the ice cream store near the beach.

Question 11 options:

 

Zazu

 

store

 

beach

 

Question 12 (2 points)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which words make up the prepositional phrase in the following sentence? 

 

Within a few hours, Millie had mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, and baked some cookies.

Question 12 options:

 

had mowed the lawn 

 

cleaned the house 

 

within a few hours

 

baked some cookies

 

Passage 1: “The Pet Food Industry”

 

Read the passage.

 

The Pet Food Industry

You have just adopted a pet, and you’re at a pet supply store. You are overwhelmed by the never-ending sea of colorful pet food packages. Some bags claim that they’re organic or natural, but what does that mean? And then there are the stacks of canned food, boasting loudly of their superior contents. What’s the difference among these foods? Does it matter what you feed your dog or cat? Yes, it does matter. And the text on the package does not always tell the whole story.

 

According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 68 percent of U.S. households own a pet. The APPA also estimates that U.S. pet owners will spend $25 million on pet food in 2016. But the contents, quality, and cost of foods vary dramatically. A food’s national popularity does not necessarily equate to a healthy choice, especially when advertising plays such a heavy role in sales. To select the best nutritional match for your pet, it is important to understand what you’re buying.

History of Commercial Pet Food

The first food prepared commercially for pets were biscuits made by James Spratt, an American, while he was living in England in 1860. The biscuits became popular with English country gentlemen for their sporting dogs. The company that took over Spratt’s formula began production in the United States in 1890. After World War I, the first canned dog food, made from horse meat, was introduced. Canned cat food and dry meat-meal dog food were introduced in the 1930s, and dry food came along in the 1950s.

Pet Food Regulations

As the pet food industry grew, government officials regulated food-processing methods used by American pet food manufacturers. However, according to Born Free USA, a national animal advocacy group, the pet food industry isn’t as regulated as it claims. Laws exist but aren’t necessarily enforced, and the Food and Drug Administration has minimal control over pet foods shipped across state lines. Feed control officials in each state have more power. These officials run tests on food to make sure it meets its Guaranteed Analysis, the label on food that lists its ingredients and the proportion of each ingredient. However, the quality of regulation and enforcement varies from state to state, according to Born Free USA.

 

Deciphering Pet Food Ingredients

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has model regulations for pet foods and a checklist for labels. The guidelines require that ingredients be listed in descending order according to each item’s weight, though the terms may not be as self-explanatory as they appear to consumers. If “meat” is listed, it refers only to the meat of cows, pigs, goats, and sheep and includes specified muscle tissue. The guaranteed analysis is a general guide to the composition of the food—and crude protein, fat, fiber, and total moisture are required to be listed. By-products in pet foods are parts of animals not used in human foods and can include the head, feet, and bones. Wet pet foods commonly include meat or poultry by-products. However, brands of pet foods labeled super-premium, natural, or organic don’t use by-products. According to the AAFCO, organic refers to the processing of a product, not necessarily the quality of the product.

 

The term meal is used in many of the ingredients of dry pet foods, such as meat meals, poultry meals, and meat-and-bone meals. Meal is not fresh but has been rendered. Rendering is the process of boiling the raw materials of carcasses for several hours. It separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, but it can also destroy natural enzymes and proteins.   

 

How Pet Foods Are Prepared

Commercially prepared pet food goes through a process. Dry food is made with a machine called an extruder. Food materials are blended with a recipe that provides the nutrient content of each ingredient. For the extruder to work properly, a consistent amount of starch and low moisture is needed. Ingredients such as rendered meat-and-bone meal, poultry by-product meal, grains, and flours are used. The dough is then fed through the extruder and subjected to steam and high pressure. As it is pushed through nozzles, it is cut with sharp knives. When the food puffs into its final shape, it is left to dry and then sprayed with fats, digests, and other compounds to make it more appetizing to the animal. This same process is also used on semi-moist pet foods and many pet treats.

The ingredients in wet or canned foods are ground and mixed with chemicals to improve taste, stability, or appearance. Such additives do not provide any nutritional value. Any chunks in the food are formed through an extruder. The food is then cooked, canned, and sealed—and then pressure cooked and commercially sterilized.

Pet Food Choices

Most dog owners feed their dogs dry and canned dog food. Wet canned food generally provides more protein and more moisture than dry foods and is often higher quality. But many pet owners prefer to cook food for their pets, and some choose to feed their pets raw food.

According to the Whole Dog Journal, if you decide to cook for your pets, no single type of food should ever make up more than half the pet’s diet. However, meat should be half of the diet. Some pet owners prefer to feed their dogs a raw food diet, which is uncooked food. Proponents of a raw food diet believe it gives dogs healthier coats, increases their energy level, improves their disposition, and controls their weight. There are those who feel that the benefits of a raw food diet are not proven. Uncooked meat can contain bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella that can be harmful to dogs; raw food can also inflame the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea. Uncooked bones can obstruct airways or perforate intestines. If you’re unsure what to feed your pet, ask for recommendations from your veterinarian, who is familiar with your pet’s health and knows if your pet has any specific dietary needs.

 

Question 13 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

 

Which answer best reflects the figurative meaning of the term “never-ending sea” in Paragraph 1?

Question 13 options:

 

countless choices

 

predictable selection

 

alarming options

 

limited supply

 

Question 14 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

 

Which answer best reflects the meaning of the phrase “tell the whole story” in Paragraph 1?

Question 14 options:

 

exaggerate the truth

 

provide complete and accurate information

 

explain with amusing and interesting details

 

manipulate the facts

 

Question 15 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

 

What is the effect of the word choice on the introduction of this passage?

 

Some bags claim that they’re organic or natural, but what does that mean? And then there are the stacks of canned food, boasting loudly of their superior contents. What’s the difference among these foods? Does it matter what you feed your dog or cat? Yes, it does matter. And the text on the package does not always tell the whole story.

Question 15 options:

 

It creates an accusatory tone by suggesting readers are not doing enough to ensure their pets have proper nutrition.

 

It develops a hopeless tone by implying that there are few options for pet owners when seeking proper nutrition for their pets.

 

It sets an encouraging tone by confirming that pet owners have a wide range of options when choosing food for their pets.

 

It suggests a skeptical tone by questioning the reliability of the information provided to consumers by  pet food companies.

 

Question 16 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

Read the excerpt from the passage.

You are overwhelmed by the never-ending sea of colorful pet food packages. Some bags claim that they’re organic or natural, but what does that mean? And then there are the stacks of canned food, boasting loudly of their superior contents.

 

What is the effect of the word choice in this excerpt?

Question 16 options:

 

The author creates a frustrated tone by accusing pet food manufacturers of intentionally confusing consumers.

 

The author uses descriptive language and questioning to advance the viewpoint that pet food manufacturers strive to provide complete information for consumers.

 

The author uses exaggeration and personification to introduce the viewpoint that many pet food manufacturers are more interested in sales than providing faction information to consumers.

 

The author develops an enthusiastic tone by highlighting the wealth of nutritional options available to consumers.

 

Question 17 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

Read these sentences from Paragraph 1.

What’s the difference among these foods? Does it matter what you feed your dog or cat? Yes, it does matter.

What is the effect of the use of questions in this paragraph?

Question 17 options:

 

They introduce the author’s viewpoint that pet owners should educate themselves about pet nutrition.

 

They clarify the author’s purpose to argue that pet food manufacturers produce inferior products.

 

They demonstrate the author’s appreciation for the range of nutritional options available to owners and their pets.

 

They emphasize the author’s concern that pet owners are indifferent about providing appropriate nutrition for their pets.

 

Question 18 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

Read these sentences from the excerpt.

You have just adopted a pet, and you’re at a pet supply store. You are overwhelmed by the never-ending sea of colorful pet food packages.

How does the rhetorical strategy used in this excerpt advance the author’s viewpoint that pet owners must be proactive when selecting food for their pets?

Question 18 options:

 

It alludes to a common experience that most readers will recognize, demonstrating that the author identifies with the struggles of pet ownership.

 

It uses figurative language to emphasize the challenges of pet ownership so readers will think before adopting a pet.

 

It makes an illogical statement to catch readers off guard and compel them to question how they choose food for their pets.

 

It uses direct address to emphasize to readers that they are personally responsible for ensuring that their pets receive the appropriate nutrition.

 

Question 19 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

 

Which excerpt from the text most clearly establishes the connection between the pet food regulation industry and the accuracy of information on pet food nutrition labels?  

Question 19 options:

 

“The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has model regulations for pet foods and a checklist for labels.”

 

“These officials run tests on food to make sure it meets its Guaranteed Analysis, the label on the food that lists its ingredients and the proportion of each. However, the quality of regulation and enforcement varies from state to state, according to Born Free.”

 

“However, brands of pet foods labeled super-premium,natural, or organic don’t use by-products.”

 

“The guaranteed analysis is a general guide to the composition of the food—and crude protein, fat, fiber, and total moisture are required to be listed. By-products in pet foods are parts of animals not used in human foods and can include the head, feet, and bones.”

 

Question 20 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

 

According to the passage, how might a raw diet cause problems for pets and their owners?

Question 20 options:

 

Raw foods may increase an animal’s energy level and control its weight.

 

Uncooked food may not meet veterinarian recommendations.

 

Raw meat may contain bacteria and lead to internal distress in the animal.

 

Uncooked meat may not conform to government regulations.

 

Question 21 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”.

 

Which statement best describes how the author introduces and develops the main idea that pet owners must educate themselves to provide the best nutrition possible for their pets?

Question 21 options:

 

The author repeats the message that the pet food industry is not as transparent as it should be, encouraging readers to insist on closer regulation of pet food manufacturing.

 

Throughout the text, the author examines a different aspect of the pet food industry to reinforce the idea that some food may not be as healthy as it appears to be.

 

Throughout the text, the author describes a different aspect of the pet food manufacturing process, giving readers a thorough understanding of how different pet foods are made.

 

The author presents evidence throughout the text that canned pet food is the most responsible choice pet owners can make for their animals.

 

Question 22 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”.

Read this excerpt from the passage.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has model regulations for pet foods and a checklist for labels. The guidelines require that ingredients be listed in descending order according to each item’s weight, though the terms may not be as self-explanatory as they appear to consumers. If “meat” is listed, it refers only to the meat of cows, pigs, goats, and sheep and includes specified muscle tissue. The guaranteed analysis is a general guide to the composition of the food—and crude protein, fat, fiber, and total moisture are required to be listed. By-products in pet foods are parts of animals not used in human foods and can include the head, feet, and bones. Wet pet foods commonly include meat or poultry by-products. However, brands of pet foods labeled super-premium, natural, or organic don’t use by-products. According to the AAFCO, organic refers to the processing of a product, not necessarily the quality of the product.

 

How does Paragraph 5 refine the claim that “the text on the package does not always tell the whole story” about pet food?

Question 22 options:

 

It reassures readers that the AAFCO requires labels to follow a specific checklist that ensures their usefulness.

 

It defines the real meaning of terms that may appear on pet food labels without full explanation for the consumer.

 

It explains the details included on labels that are not necessarily relevant to a pet owner’s food choice.

 

It differentiates between pet food brands that do and do not contain superior quality ingredients.

 

Question 23 (1 point)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”. 

 

Which description of the passage “The Pet Food Industry”  is most accurate?

Question 23 options:

 

It introduces the argument that pet owners should choose wet food over dry, claiming that wet food is safer and more nutritious.

 

It presents the argument that the government must do more to protect consumers, claiming that pet food manufacturers intentionally mislabel their products.

 

It introduces the argument that pet owners may be harming the pets, claiming that raw food diets are dangerous.

 

It presents the argument that consumers need to educate themselves about pet nutrition, claiming that pet food labels are not always accurate or complete.

 

Question 24 (2 points)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refer to Passage 1 “The Pet Food Industry”.

 

How do the section headings help refine the claim that pet food labels do not always tell the whole story?

Question 24 options:

 

Each heading introduces a step in the manufacturing process of pet food and provides evidence of how faulty processes affect food quality.

 

Each heading presents an aspect of the pet food manufacturing and marketing process and explains how it affects the accuracy of information provided on pet food packaging.

 

The headings list, in sequence, the areas of most concern when looking for the right nutritional match for different kinds of pets.

 

The headings represent different perspectives on pet nutrition to present consumers with more objective information about pet food choices.

 

Passage 2 Excerpts from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

 

Passage excerpts from Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. 

 

In August 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned a longhand letter after he was arrested for his participation in nonviolent protests that took place in Birmingham, AL. He wrote his letter in response to public criticism he received from white clergymen in the area. For your convenience, relevant excerpts are included above their respective questions.

 

Dr. King opens his letter by articulating his purpose:

My Dear Fellow Clergymen,

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities “unwise and untimely.” Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against “outsiders coming in.” I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.

But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. …

Because King is not participating in a direct discussion with his critics, he is deliberate and thorough in his efforts to fully respond to their concerns. Below are several paragraphs in which he asserts his claims.

Paragraph 5

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

Paragraph 14

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was “well timed” in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

Paragraph 25

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

Paragraph 41

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust. 

…

 Then it occurred to us that Birmingham’s mayoral election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene “Bull” Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run off, we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct action program could be delayed no longer.

You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.

One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: “Why didn’t you give the new city administration time to act?” The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was “well timed” in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, “Wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading “white” and “colored”; when your first name becomes “nigger,” your middle name becomes “boy” (however old