S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

tis
of 
thee
, sweet land of liberty, of thee I 
sing. Land where my fathers died. Land of the 
pilgrim’s
pride. From every 
mountainside, let freedom ring.” 
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom 
ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty 
mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the peaks of California! 
Let freedom ring from every hill in Mississippi. When we let freedom ring, we 
will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children will be able to join 
hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! 
Thank God 
Almighty
, we are free 
at last
!”
Reading Time
_______ minutes _______ seconds
577 words
39
‘
tis --- old poetic form for “it is”
39
thee --- old poetic form for “you”
40
pilgrim --- a traveler, usually following her or his religious beliefs
48 
almighty --- having complete power
48
at last --- finally

---

R 
eading Comprehension
80
A
Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the 
reading.
 1.
____ King had no children at the time of this speech.
 2.
____ King believed that the men who wrote the Constitution wanted 
Blacks and Whites to be equal.
 3.
____ King said that violence is only necessary when others use violence.
 4.
____ When this speech was made, Blacks had equal rights 
so they were “free at last.”
B
 
Choose the best answer.
 1.
What is the main idea of the reading?
a. The fight for equal rights has been won.
b. The fight for equal rights must continue.
c. The fight for equal rights should begin.
d. The fight for equal rights will be violent.
 2.
In the song “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” what is the “land where my fathers 
died”?
a. 
Alabama 
b. 
England
c. 
The 
South 
d. The United States
 3.
What is an “old Negro spiritual”?
a. A ceremony to celebrate freedom
b. A famous Black leader
c. A song that lifted people’s spirits
d. The place where Black slaves prayed