Question

K

Read the passage.
The following is from an address given by Mary W. Dewson, a member of the Social
Security Board, to the Women's City Club of Boston on February 17, 1938.
from This Social Security-What is it?
Social insurance, like private insurance, has limitations. You can't, for example.
insure people who are already old against old-age dependency, any more than you
can insure your car against property damages after you have had a smash-up. Yet
some provision has to be made for this non-insurable need. Nobody knows exactly
how many of those now old are without sufficient resources for their own support.
Surveys made some years ago in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other States
showed that anywhere from 40 to 50 percent of the people over 65 had an income of
less than $300 a year. And $300 a year is the modest minimum which, the American
people seem to think, is essential for health and decency. To take care of such old
people, the Social Security Act adds another provision-for assistance on the basis of
need. With Federal grants to match State funds, the States are now providing cash
allowances for well over a million-and-a-half... people. As time goes on, however.
more people will be covered by the old-age insurance system, particularly when, as
we hope, it is extended to include practically all wage earners.
(from "This Social Security-What Is It?" by Mary W. Dewson)
This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then.
answer Part B.
Part A
What is Dewson's main claim in the passage?
O 1.
It is the government's responsibility to provide
for citizens who struggle to pay their rent or
buy food in old age.
O 2. Most elderly people in the United States have
plenty of income and do not need additional
government help to survive.
O 3. Only people who have worked throughout
their adult life should be eligible for Social
Security payments in old age.
4. The Social Security program has been
successful for the elderly and will continue to
grow to include more of the population.
Part B
Which detail from the passage best supports the
correct answer from Part A?

Answer 1

Mary W. Dewson's main claim is that Social Security is essential for elderly assistance, anticipating its expansion to offer more coverage. The correct answer is option 4. The detail that best supports this is the statistic of elderly individuals living on less than $300 a year, highlighting the program's role in need-based assistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the passage from Mary W. Dewson's address, her main claim is that Social Security addresses a genuine need for elderly assistance, particularly for those without adequate resources to support themselves in old age. This program, she explains, is necessary because there is a segment of the population that cannot be insured privately for old-age dependency, akin to not being able to insure a car post-accident. Dewson anticipates that the Social Security program will continue to expand to cover more people over time.

The detail from the passage that best supports this main claim is her discussion about the significant number of elderly individuals living on less than $300 per year, which is considered below the minimum necessary for health and decency, further underscoring the importance of Social Security as a form of need-based assistance.