PART 3. Read the text and choose the best answer for each question.
CHARLES I AND OLIVER CROMWELL
A.    The English Revolution of 1642 is interesting mainly because of the personalities involved. The English Revolution was largely brought on by the arrogant and stubborn nature of the English monarch of the time. Charles I was an absolute monarch, and has been common throughout Europe’s political history. Like the English monarchs before him, Charles rested his claim to such power on the divine right of kings. This doctrine claimed that the monarchs of Europe had been specifically chosen by God to rule Europe, and therefore, any challenge to their authority was a sin. This was noted by Charles’ father James I, who famously said that “Kings are little gods on Earth.” Charles I was deeply religious and truly believed it was God’s will for him to rule England in the fashion he chose. Unfortunately for Charles, he was an absolute monarch at a time when citizens were increasingly questioning the logic of such rule. The English Parliament was pushing the greater power for checks on royal authority, which quickly brought Charles I into conflicts with its members. The king simple dismissed Parliament and attempted to rule the nation on his own. This strategy was short-sighted, however, because English law required the monarch to consult Parliament before collecting new taxes. So when Charles I found himself in financial trouble in 1640, he was forced to work with a hostile Parliament that had little interest in negotiating with him. The conflicts of the next two years between the financially strapped, yet incredibly stubborn king and the increasingly rebellious Parliament directly led to the outbreak of civil war.
B.    The other personality of note is that Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was a member of Parliament and Charles’ senior by one year. During the years leading up to start of the war, Cromwell was a relatively unimportant figure. He was simple one of many members of Parliament, although it should be noted that he quickly allied himself with some of the more radical Parliamentary members, who shared his dislike of Charles on religious grounds. Cromwell was a Puritan, an extremely strict sect of Protestanism which rejected many of the rituals and beliefs of the official Church of England (of which Charles I was head). Cromwell’s religious convictions were every bit as deep as those of Charles I, and this set them at odds. It was on the battlefield that Cromwell first distinguished himself. While his blunt manner and short temper had proven to be a disadvantage in the chambers of Parliament, they were great assets in military service, and made him the kind of leader that soldiers loved and followed readily.
C.    As the revolution continued, and Cromwell advanced through the ranks of the rebel army, the conflict became an intensely personal one for the king and the general. Charles I, convinced of his devine right to rule, refused to negotiate with the rebels even when it was obvious that the war was going badly for him. For his part, Cromwell became increasingly convinced that the only solution to crisis was the elimination of the monarchy and of the king. In the end, the strength with which both men held their beliefs eliminated any chance of negotiation and a peaceful end to the war. Cromwell, being a far better military mind, crushed the royal forces, and at the end of the hostilities took a drastic move of having the king tried and executed for treason.
26a. Based on the information in paragraph A, what can the term absolute monarch be explained as? (A king who ruled according to religious principles/A king who believed that he was a god/A king who exercised total control over his kingdom/A king who wishes to rule all of Europe)
26b. Why does the author mention James I? (discuss his influence on his son’s beliefs/ illustrate that England had a long history of arrogant kings/ better demonstrate that the time of absolute monarchs was over/further illustrate the concept of the divine right of kings)
26c. According to paragraph A, what was Charles’ insistence on the divine right of kings based on? (his stubborn arrogance/ his strong religious convictions/ his selfish wish for greater power/ his wish to preserve the old political order)
26d. What is the word checks in the passage closest in meaning to? (limitations / confirmations/expansions/ bans)
26e. According to paragraph A, why did Charles I found it difficult to rule without Parliament? (      the time of absolute monarchs was over/ English law forced him to work with a hostile Parliament/ he needed the consent of Parliament to raise new taxes/ his unwillingness to make compromises made it difficult for him to govern)
26f. What can be inferred from paragraph B about radical members of Parliament? (They were Charles’ strongest supporters/ They had the ability to reject any new taxes/They were mostly Puritans/ They were valuable allies to Cromwell because of their power).
26g. What is the topic of the reading text?
26h. What is the second about?