Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points) Considered by many to be one of the greatest statesmen of all time, Benjamin Franklin has, without a doubt, left an indelible mark on history for all time. The man who would come to impact the course of the United States' development came from the most humble of backgrounds. Born the fifteenth child of a candle maker in Boston, Massachusetts, young Benjamin only attended two years of formal schooling before entering the candle making business himself at the age of ten. After his stint in the candle shop, he worked in a printing shop for five years, educating himself all the while by constantly reading and writing. Franklin's intellectual and political growth continued unabated for decades, with such notable achievements along the way as the famous 'Poor Richard's Almanac' which was used as a tool by farmers and as entertainment by more intellectual patrons. Also personally responsible for the founding of the first public library in the United States, the University of Pennsylvania, the fire department and police force of his state, young Franklin was seldom seen at rest, preferring to utilize his talents for the betterment of his community. He was particularly crucial in the formation of the new American republic after its war of independence from Britain, using his considerable intellectual clout to influence thinkers of the period and garner support for the revolution. In 1776, Franklin traveled to France on a diplomatic mission, the culmination of which was a strategic alliance that greatly assisted the ailing American military with France's naval power. Franklin was still not satisfied to rest on his laurels after liberation from England was achieved, rather continuing on his rapid pace of accomplishments. In 1785 he returned to Pennsylvania to take part in the Constitutional Convention, and ended up writing a good deal of the constitution himself. Smaller feats were continually achieved, up until the time of his death on April 17, 1790. He was busy until the end, constantly working toward the betterment of humanity. A telling tribute is the fact that just two months prior to his death, he performed his last political action by signing a petition to Congress, which called for the abolition of the institution of slavery. In paragraph 2, the word 'stint' is most similar in use to______.