8/21/2019 Reading Passage 8

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Reading Passage Questions

Socialism refers to an ideology and the state of government based on that ideology. Socialists claim to

stand for the values of equality, social justice,

cooperation, progress, individual freedom, and

happiness, and socialists seek to realize these values by

the abolition of the privateenterprise economy and

through its replacement by public o!nership, a system

of social or state control over production and

distribution. "hroughout history, the poor have al!ays

 been oppressed by the rich, ruling class, and under 

socialism, the bourgeois, or middle class, !ould rule

!hile practicing equality of all classes.

#ne of the foremost advocates of socialism in the first

half of the $%th century !as &pton Sinclair. 'orn in()*) in 'altimore, &pton !itnessed the best and !orst

of the +merican social classes. is father, &pton 'eall,

!as an heir of an affluent Southern family, a salesman,

and an alcoholic. Sinclair-s childhood !as spent in

 poverty and moderate !ealth. #ne night, he !ould

sleep in a vermin infested slum !hile the net he !ould

sleep in a posh home. "his lifestyle gave birth to his

quest for social justice !ith only his !riting as a tool.

&ptons understanding of both !orlds caused him to

realize that it !as not fair for some people to be rich

!hile many others !ere relegated to live in squalor,

regardless of their hard efforts and continued !ork infactories and on production lines. +lcoholism caused

&pton fathers death as !ell as &ptons promotion of 

/rohibition, and Sinclairs (01( book, "he 2et /arade,

!as his appeal to +merica for /rohibition.

&pton graduated from the 3ollege of the 3ity of Ne!4ork and then became a graduate student at 3olumbia

&niversity. e !as dra!n to the 5omantic poets, such

as Shelley, and as a result he !as inspired to !rite

serious literature !hich used romantic idealism as the

central theme. e combined the romantic style of 

!riting !ith his strong socialist beliefs, and oftentimeshe focused on the abuses of capitalism and promoted

socialism as a cure. e founded elicon ome 3olony,

a cooperative socialist colony, in (0%6 in 7ngle!ood,

 Ne! 8ersey, and, in (019, he almost !on the

governorship of 3alifornia.

(. +ccording to the passage, !hich ofthe follo!ing is true:

a. &nder socialism, the

 bourgeois !ould assume

o!nership of all property

 b. &pton founded the elicon

ome 3olony !hen he !as

only $) years old

c. &pton studied !ith Shelley at

3olumbia &niversity

d. Socialists claim to stand for

the right to o!n private

 businesses

e. 2hile campaigning for

governor of 3alifornia, &pton!as a champion of

/rohibition

$. 2hich of the follo!ing titles bestdescribes the main ideas of the

 passage:

a. Socialism #pportunities

and Social 8ustice

 b. &pon Sinclair a 3hampion

for the ;iddle 3lass

c. Socialism an