Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country,"
America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of
ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a
notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though
everyone knows that most men consider themselves
better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the
United States was built in nobody's image," the historian
Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits
and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that
have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico
and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the
ideal.
Which statement best explains the role context plays in
better understanding this excerpt?
1. Quindlen uses the context of American diversity to help
readers rethink the concept of American identity and
understand that she supports the idea of unity among
Americans of all cultures.
2. Understanding that Quindlen is the descendant of
immigrants helps the reader realize that she supports
the idea that some cultures are naturally better than
others.
3. Quindlen uses the context of living in the United States
during the 9/11 attacks to help the reader realize that
she feels that unity among all Americans is impossible to
achieve.
4. Understanding that Quindien is an immigrant from
another country helps readers realize that she
understands societies like the United States more than
