Q1

[gplaya123]

Is "citizens" in answer choice E referring to opponents of compulsory service?

I am pretty sure it is... but so generally worded...

[tommywallach]

Hey Gplaya,

Let's talk this one out from bottom to top. The question is about how the author feels about citizens and individual rights.

(A) While the the author might agree with this, we don't actually know his/her attitude towards freedom. Freedom is not the subject of this passage in any way.

(B) This is the opposite of the author's opinion. The author believes that government intrusion is often warranted, and that people's insistence on individual rights can get in the way.

(C) This one is a bit tricky. The author is alarmed about how people use individual rights as an excuse not to take part in a real community. But it has nothing to do with taking advantage of other people.

(D) This makes the same mistake as (B).

(E) CORRECT. The author definitely doesn't like how some people use the idea of individual rights to shirk their communal duties. As to the issue of "citizens" being vague, it really isn't, because we are told these are the citizens that "avoid certain obligations to their government." Indeed, those are the folks who would refuse to pay taxes, or to be conscripted (in the opinion of the author).

Hope that helps!

-t