Every Independence Day, Americans celebrate the founding of the United States. Yet for several months after July 4, 1776, the self-proclaimed United States of America looked set to go down in history as a nation that never was. That August, in the biggest battle of the Revolution, the British trounced the Continental Army on Long Island, nearly forcing an American surrender.
The author of the passage uses the phrase self-proclaimed most likely to emphasize that during the months immediately following July 4, 1776, the United States:
Correct
Incorrect
The correct answer is (B).
Getting to the Answer: When asked why an author uses a phrase, read a few lines before and after to get a sense of what the author is telling his audience. In the second sentence the author states, "as a nation that never was." This suggests that the author is emphasizing that the U.S. has yet to become an official nation.
(A) Incorrect: the author states that the British defeated the Continental Army, which is the opposite of what this choice states
(B) Correct: this fits the idea that the U.S was not on official nation, that it was only "self-proclaimed"
(C) Incorrect: nothing around these lines suggests that the army expanded
(D) Incorrect: this is the opposite of the idea that the U.S. was only "self-proclaimed"