Hi! Given that you asked several questions and some of them are missing information (like bolded phrases), I went online to find them. I will copy-paste your questions and answer them separately. I will proceed to underline the words that meant to be bolded. In bold, I will mark the correct answer.
Answers:
1) Which of the following lines from King's letter is meant to be interpreted literally ?
A. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer
B. It was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society
C. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over
D. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham
Explanation: This is the only sentence that is literal, the other options are metaphors.
2) In the sentence "Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity," the bolded phrase creates a mood of __________ among the audience.
A. Hope B. Respect C. Love D. Honor
Explanation: The mood of a sentence refers to the atmosphere it creates to evoke emotions from the readers. With this particular phrase, MLK creates a mood of hope among the audience as it helps them imagine a nation with no racial injustice and discrimination.
3) Which of the following explanations best interprets the meaning of the bolded words in the following sentence?
"Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity. "
A. People may act with prejudice if they feel they are not standing on solid ground
B. Discrimination makes people feel like they are being pulled into a bottomless pit.
C. Permitting people to be treated unfairly is a dangerous national policy.
D. Racial injustice occurs in countries with deserts characterized by quicksand.
Explanation: In this passage, Luther King says that they need to turn America into a country with no discrimination, as racial injustice is a dangerous policy that will lead the Nation into suffering, while human dignity makes people stronger and happier.
