Comprehension Questions

Article 1

1. Which paragraph in the section "From Selma To Ferguson" BEST supports the idea that some musicians have very strong feelings about what happened in Ferguson, Missouri? Paragraph # ____

2. Which sentence from the section "These Songs Of Freedom" BEST explains the connection between the songs of freedom and the protest movement?

A The gospel music of black churches spoke to a better life in the hereafter, but soul, R&B and jazz speeded up the timetable so that the good life — or at least an equal opportunity to live it — could be experienced now.

B Meanwhile, artists such as Chicago’s Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and the Staple Singers crafted a music rooted in gospel but speaking the language of popular culture.

C All this creativity was inspired by pain, struggle and bloodshed.

D The three Selma marches in 1965 aimed to draw attention to the struggle for black voting rights.

3. In the first sentence of the article, what is the connotation of the phrase "musical centerpiece"?

A something that is important

B something that is precise

C something that is remarkable

D something that is beneficial

4. Read the sentence from the section "These Songs of Freedom."

“Preachers and ministers such as Martin Luther King articulated the movement’s goals.”

What does the word "articulated" mean in the sentence?

A decided on

B put into words

C vocally opposed

D peacefully protested

Article 2

5. Which paragraph from the section "Seeking Suitable Sanctuary" suggests that many other animals are unlikely to be given the same rights as Sandra?

A Before Sandra's case, legal claims were filed for zoo primates in other parts of Argentina. Outside of Argentina, there was a case in 2005 for a chimpanzee named Suica in the zoo in San Salvador, Brazil. Suica died before the case could be judged. In 2012, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) tried to use the U.S. Constitution's 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and forced labor, to gain freedom for orcas in captivity.

B In 2013, the Nonhuman Rights Project initiated legal claims on behalf of four chimpanzees in New York state. They were rejected, but the court decisions are being appealed. "With our claims, we are looking for imprisoned nonhuman animals to be returned to their natural environment," said Steven Wise, president of the organization. British primatologist Jane Goodall is a member. If it's not possible to return them to nature, "we will try to send them to a suitable sanctuary."

C The groundswell of support for freeing animals grew out of 40 years of primate research. "Studies such as those by Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall and other scientists helped to position the great apes as people," Giudice said. "Seeing them in zoos today recalls human exhibits from other regions of the world in the World's Fairs in Paris in the 19th century."

D Scientific research, he added, has shown that they are creatures who can feel, suffer and think, and are aware of themselves as individuals. "We cannot be accomplices and let them suffer in prison," he said.

6. Which selection from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3] would NOT make a good summary of the article?

A For the first time anywhere, an ape has received the same basic rights as a human. The orangutan, who lives at the Buenos Aires Zoo, had those rights granted on Dec. 18, 2014, by an Argentine criminal appeals court.

B The ruling will change forever the life of the female orangutan named Sandra. It also may ultimately spur the relatively new movement to set free other animals living in captivity in zoos.

C In Argentina, at least, Sandra now has the right to life, liberty and freedom from harm. "The ruling was historic because before, a nonhuman primate like Sandra was considered an object and therefore there was no dispute about its captivity," said Andres Gil Dominguez.

D He is with the Association of Professional Lawyers for Animal Rights in Argentina, which filed the legal petition for Sandra, asserting that she had been unjustifiably denied her freedom.