What makes the tone different in these two pairs of lines from the excerpt?

What does the word precocious mean in this sentence

Me ! select the correct answer. in his essay "civil disobedience," henry david thoreau wrote "that government is best which governs least." which answer best shows how this motto reflects transcendentalist principles? a. an ideal government does not exist, so anarchy is best for a nation. b. citizens require the government to define the difference between right and wrong. c. government can act as an impediment to the will and morality of individual men. d. an ideal nation is one that is not governed by a monarchy or dictatorship. e. government on a large scale is inefficient and should be managed at the state level.

Can someone give me the main topics discussed in english segment 2 dba ( lesson 3.09 )