Analyzing Central Ideas in a Historical Speech — Quiz
Question 15 • English Language Arts 10
Read the excerpt from "We Are Determined Not to Sell Our Lands." Brother, at the treaties held for the purchase of our lands, the white men, with sweet voices and smiling faces, told us they loved us, and that they would not cheat us, but that the king’s children on the other side of the lake would cheat us. When we go on the other side of the lake, the king's children tell us your people will cheat us. These things puzzle our heads, and we believe that the Indians must take care of themselves, and not trust either in your people or in the king’s children. Which quotation best reflects the central idea of this excerpt?
Answer
A
“. . . the white men, with sweet voices and smiling faces, told us they loved us . . ."
B
“. . . the king's children tell us your people will cheat us."
C
"These things puzzle our heads . . ."
D
“. . . we believe that the Indians must take care of themselves . . ."
Explanation
The excerpt explains that both groups accuse the other of cheating the Indians, leaving them unsure whom to trust. Its central idea is that the Indians must rely on themselves rather than trust either group. Choice D states that idea directly: “we believe that the Indians must take care of themselves.”
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