Synthesizing Information to Create New Understanding — Quiz
Question 4 • English I
Read the excerpt from Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Hundreds of thousands of nonviolent offenders have been forced to spend decades in prison. We’ve created laws that make writing a bad check or committing a petty theft or minor property crime an offense that can result in life imprisonment. We have declared a costly war on people with substance abuse problems. There are more than a half-million people in state or federal prisons for drug offenses today, up from just 41,000 in 1980. Which sentence best states the main idea in this excerpt?
Answer
A
Many people who are given life sentences were charged with a drug offense.
B
Life sentences should not be given to nonviolent offenders.
C
Life sentences most affect people with substance abuse problems.
D
Most people who are given life sentences were convicted of nonviolent crimes.
Explanation
The excerpt emphasizes that nonviolent offenses, including petty theft and drug offenses, can lead to decades in prison or even life imprisonment. Its main point is that such severe sentences are being imposed for nonviolent crimes, so life sentences should not be given to nonviolent offenders. The passage does not say that most people with life sentences were convicted of nonviolent crimes or that most have substance abuse problems.
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