Using Resources and Reference Materials for Editing — Unit test
Question 10 • Common Core ELA 11 - ELA3011 IC
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg.In the song the man is really saying: I made an investment in this country. Where the hell are my dividends? Is it a dividend to say: “Can you spare a dime?” What the hell is wrong? Let’s examine this thing. It’s more than just a bit of pathos. It doesn’t reduce him to a beggar. It makes him a dignified human, asking questions—and a bit outraged, too, as he should be.According to Harburg, the song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Answer
A
humanizes and lends a sense of worth to the common beggar on the street.
B
was written to assist the poor in getting more money from passersby.
C
answers the question “What is wrong?” for impoverished individuals.
D
lessens the outrage felt by the many poor, marginalized individuals.
Explanation
Harburg says the song does more than portray a sad beggar: it presents the man as a “dignified human” who asks questions and feels justified outrage. That means the song humanizes the person asking for money and gives him a sense of worth. Choice A, “humanizes and lends a sense of worth to the common beggar on the street,” best matches the excerpt.
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