Women's Suffrage Reading Comprehension Practice

Internet History Sourcebooks: Modern History

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Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of the selection?

• Women should share in working outside the home to take some of the burden from men

• Women are more intelligent than are given credit and can therefore earn more money

• Woman should join forces to stop racism

• Women deserve the same rights and protections under the law and should have the right to vote

Multiple Choice

Based on this selection, which of the following best describes Susan B. Anthony's tone?

• confident about her ability to obtain the right for women to vote

• certain that women are superior to men

• pleased that men care for and make decisions for women

• fearful of the consequences of pursuing the right to vote

Multiple Choice

Based on the selection, which of the following statements is the best assumption Susan B. Anthony could have made about the audience that included both men and women?

• the men would act out violently at her proposal

• the audience would be supportive of her ideas

• the women in the audience would be scared at the new proposal

• the audience would ignore her proposal

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is the best example of Susan B. Anthony using allusion in her speech?

• “it is downright mockery to talk to women of the blessings of liberty"

• “the only question left to be settled"

• “We, the people of the United States”

• "four score and seven years ago"

Multiple Choice

What is the effect of beginning the selection with the phrase, “I stand before you tonight under indictment for having voted at the last presidential election”?

• to show that women have more rights than men

• to explain why she is now getting out of jail

• to show the ridiculousness of being arrested for voting

• to convince the audience that she should be released from jail

Multiple Choice

Which persuasive technique does the speaker use in this quote? “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.”

• Alliteration

• Allustion

• Idiom

• Repetition

Multiple Choice

What is Susan B. Anthony’s purpose in reciting the first paragraph of the Constitution?

• to persuade by citing a primary source

• to persuade by citing a secondary source

• to persuade by repetition

• to persuade by using a figure of speech

Multiple Choice

Which of the following quotes best supports the theme of this speech?

• "It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union."

• "To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed."

• "Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no state has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities."

• "It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union."

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Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an argument Truth makes as to why women and men should have equal rights? 

• Women can do anything men can do. 

• Christ was born from God and a woman

• Women are more intelligent than men

• Women are not helpless

Multiple Choice

What does the bolded term mean in the following sentence:

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter."

• noise; liveliness; a loud unpleasent noise

• to have turned up the earth with a plow

• out of harmony or balance

• none of these

Multiple Choice

Read the following excerpt from “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wasn’t a woman!

What is Truth’s response to this counterargument?

• She becomes enraged and insults the man.

• She says religion has nothing to do with a person’s rights.

• She says his argument betrays his ignorance.

• She cites evidence from the Bible that shows the importance of women.

Multiple Choice

Read the following excerpt from “Ain’t I a Woman?”

What’s [intellect] got to do with women’s rights or Negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Which answer best restates Truth’s point in this excerpt?

• Each person has the same abilities as any other, so each should be treated with corresponding respect.

• Each person deserves an equal opportunity to fulfill his or her potential, however great or small that potential might be.

• Each person deserves an equal opportunity to expand his or her intelligence, which can be improved without limit.

• Each person has abilities that differ from those of others, but only educated people should be allowed to vote.

Multiple Choice

What point is Truth trying to make with the question "Ain't I a woman?"

• She wants to answer those who use women's weakness to justify their treatment by demonstrating her own strength.

• She displays her own obvious intelligence to establish that women are more intelligent than men.

• She wants to establish through her own example that in many ways women are superior to men and stronger.

• She wants to use her own speechmaking talent to prove that a woman can deliver a powerful speech to an audience that includes men.

Multiple Choice

What hardships does Truth describe enduring as a slave in "Ain't I a Woman?" Choose two options.

• being denied an education

• being sold repeatedly

• seeing her children sold

• seeing her husband killed