Read the following passage and answer the questions.
Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929. His family lived on the outskirts of Atlanta. The fact that he could not play with white children, or that he had to offer a seat in the bus to a white, disturbed him. When he was eight years old, his father told him a sad incident. Bessie Smith, a great singer, met with an accident. An ambulance rushed her to nearest hospital, but she was not admitted because she was a black. She died for want of treatment. From that day, Martin Luther King dreamt of becoming the liberator of the Blacks. King completed his studies at More House College, then he earned a doctor's degree in theology at Boston University, in 1955, he married Alabama Soprano Coretta Scott. That very year he became a pastor and preached his first sermon in the Baptist Church of Atlanta. He was greatly impressed by Mahatma Gandhi's success in the political field and the power of non-violence. King decided to follow the path of non-violence and get millions of blacks their due.
Soon he became a powerful orator. He led and continued a peaceful fight demanding the rights of the Blacks. In 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1967, he led many peaceful demonstrations against the Vietnam War. On April 4, 1968, he was shot dead by an assassin.
Why did Martin Luther King dream of becoming a liberator of the Blacks?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Because he heard a tragic story of a black singer dying
When he was eight, his father told him how the singer Bessie Smith met with an accident and was refused admission to the nearest hospital because she was black; she "died for want of treatment". The passage then says, "From that day, Martin Luther King dreamt of becoming the liberator of the Blacks." The dream began with this tragic story.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Because he had to offer his seat on the bus — Incorrect. Wrong cause: having to give his seat to a white person disturbed him, but the passage links the dream of liberating the Blacks to the singer's death.
Option 3: Because a singer met with an accident — Incorrect. Only partly true: the accident alone was not the cause; it was her death after being refused treatment because of her colour that moved him.
Option 4: Because he couldn't find an ambulance. — Incorrect. Misread: an ambulance did rush the singer to the hospital; King himself was not looking for one.