For the first question, the answer that best aligns with the author's extended metaphor of a choir is:
Answer A: a democratic society is improved by the contributions of dissenting voices.
This choice reflects the idea that a diverse range of voices (like a choir) contributes positively to democracy.
For the second question, the sentence that best supports the claim that athletes are sometimes used by governments to make political statements is:
Answer B: “In 1980, the U.S. and 59 other countries boycotted the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.” (paragraph 3)
This sentence illustrates a specific instance where athletes were leveraged by the government to take a political stance.