Question

Examine the usage of the words bequeath and posterity in this excerpt from Thomas Paine's Common Sense. Then complete the sentences that follow. The authority of Great Britain over this continent, is a form of government, which sooner or later must have an end: And a serious mind can draw no true pleasure by looking forward, under the painful and positive conviction that what he calls "the present constitution" is merely temporary. As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity. According to Paine, the government of Great Britain will bequeath to the colonists. He also implies that the posterity .

Answer 1

1. If your options are A. the ideals of freedom and individualism, B. the present constitution, C. nothing that will endure, D. a legacy of conflict and divisiveness, the correct answer is C. nothing that will endure. Judging by this excerpt alone, Paine thinks that the government such as it is will not be "sufficiently lasting", which means the current state is unviable and it has to be changed. By the way, the verb "to bequeath" means to pass something on to your children; to give something to someone else before one's death.

2. If your options are A. of a gentleman presents him from associating with common folk, B. of any nation has the right to blame their predecessors for their suffering, C. of any single person is enough to grant him or her any authority over another person, D. of any government can easily be damaged by false press and rumors, then the correct answer is B. of any nation has the right to blame their predecessors for their suffering. Posterity means future generations, children and their children - actually, everybody who will live in the world that we create today. Paine doesn't explicitly say that the posterity will blame their ancestors, but he implies that people's actions today are creating the future and are responsible for it. Accordingly, they will be to blame for their descendants' unhappiness.