This school year is moving along much better than last year. My parents sat me down and talked to me about some changes they had seen in me that were starting to worry them. A part of me felt defensive, and I started to argue with them. However, I also felt relieved after we talked because the results of our conversation changed my school year and how I feel about myself.
Mostly we discussed school grades. While my quarter and semester grades were fine, the grades for my individual assignments varied widely, from an A to an occasional F. I had no explanation for this except that some days I felt so overwhelmed by all the homework I was given that it made me want to stay in my room and not do anything. I added that I often wanted to run away from it all and hang out at the mall with my friends. In math, especially, it did not seem to matter if I studied hard or not; I usually earned no higher than a C minus on the tests.
It was pretty easy to get discouraged, but during our discussion, my mom suggested different strategies she believed would help me. Some of these strategies included making flashcards, taking time every night to review what I had learned that day, and writing down questions to ask the math teacher. She also insisted that I go to my math teacher's "After–School Tutoring Session" on Wednesdays. I tried this for a whole year; however, because this math teacher was the only teacher that offered tutoring, students from all the math teachers' classes attended. This meant there wasn't time to focus on the problems that I did not understand. Usually, the older students monopolized the teacher's time. I would leave the sessions as mystified and frustrated as when I went into the room.
This year, my parents contacted the math teacher and arranged for me to get individual tutoring. Since I've been getting this extra help, I'm not as stressed out. I still have a lot of homework to do, but I feel smart enough to tackle math. In addition, a flame inside me rekindled my desire to draw. Last year, I didn't do much in my drawing class; I know my art teacher and my parents were disappointed.
The efforts I have put into this year's work have taught me a lot about myself. My pride in myself is now stronger than my fear of failure once was. I submitted one of my art masterpieces into the school art contest. I like the drawing; I feel—no, I know—I did the best I could. I am starting to understand that I can take the same approach to math. I don't think I'll be the next Einstein, although it can still be my goal to know I have done the best I can.
Multiple Choice Question
Explain how the phrase, a flame inside me, is used in the sentence below.
In addition, a flame inside me rekindled my desire to draw.
A.
"Flame" is used as a simile to compare kindling a fire to the writer's desire to draw again.
B.
It explains the author's desire to continue drawing at the same time as studying math.
C.
"Flame" is used as a metaphor to compare kindling a fire to the writer's desire to draw again.
D.
It explains how the author's ability to do math is similar to their desire to draw
11 answers
The correct answer is:
C. "Flame" is used as a metaphor to compare kindling a fire to the writer's desire to draw again.
In this context, the "flame" symbolizes the writer's passion or motivation for drawing, and the word "rekindled" suggests that this passion has been revived or reignited, much like starting a fire again.
This school year is moving along much better than last year. My parents sat me down and talked to me about some changes they had seen in me that were starting to worry them. A part of me felt defensive, and I started to argue with them. However, I also felt relieved after we talked because the results of our conversation changed my school year and how I feel about myself.
Mostly we discussed school grades. While my quarter and semester grades were fine, the grades for my individual assignments varied widely, from an A to an occasional F. I had no explanation for this except that some days I felt so overwhelmed by all the homework I was given that it made me want to stay in my room and not do anything. I added that I often wanted to run away from it all and hang out at the mall with my friends. In math, especially, it did not seem to matter if I studied hard or not; I usually earned no higher than a C minus on the tests.
It was pretty easy to get discouraged, but during our discussion, my mom suggested different strategies she believed would help me. Some of these strategies included making flashcards, taking time every night to review what I had learned that day, and writing down questions to ask the math teacher. She also insisted that I go to my math teacher's "After–School Tutoring Session" on Wednesdays. I tried this for a whole year; however, because this math teacher was the only teacher that offered tutoring, students from all the math teachers' classes attended. This meant there wasn't time to focus on the problems that I did not understand. Usually, the older students monopolized the teacher's time. I would leave the sessions as mystified and frustrated as when I went into the room.
This year, my parents contacted the math teacher and arranged for me to get individual tutoring. Since I've been getting this extra help, I'm not as stressed out. I still have a lot of homework to do, but I feel smart enough to tackle math. In addition, a flame inside me rekindled my desire to draw. Last year, I didn't do much in my drawing class; I know my art teacher and my parents were disappointed.
The efforts I have put into this year's work have taught me a lot about myself. My pride in myself is now stronger than my fear of failure once was. I submitted one of my art masterpieces into the school art contest. I like the drawing; I feel—no, I know—I did the best I could. I am starting to understand that I can take the same approach to math. I don't think I'll be the next Einstein, although it can still be my goal to know I have done the best I can.
Multiple Choice Question
What is the literal meaning of the following analogy?
My pride in myself is now stronger than my fear of failure once was.
A.
The author now has a sense of pride that is even stronger than the negative feelings previously experienced about math.
B.
Self–pride has made the author physically stronger since they no longer worry about doing well on math exams.
C.
The author is a stronger person now that the fear of school has been replaced with better grades in math.
D.
The fear of taking a math test has gone away and the author is now a much stronger person than before.
The correct answer is:
A. The author now has a sense of pride that is even stronger than the negative feelings previously experienced about math.
This choice reflects the literal meaning of the analogy, indicating that the author's self-esteem and pride have increased to a degree that surpasses the fear they previously had regarding failure in math.
For many people, cookouts are an occasion for friends and family to gather and enjoy a meal outdoors. When planning a cookout, people may gather a wide variety of materials, but one of the most commonly used is charcoal. This light, dusty material resembling small black rocks is useful for building hot, long–burning fires. Charcoal has many additional uses as well. Many people use charcoal, but few know where this unusual rock–like material comes from.
The Science Behind Charcoal
2
Although charcoal resembles stone, it is usually made from wood. Wood is primarily composed of three elements: oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. Carbon is the element needed for charcoal. Over hundreds of years, people have perfected ways to extract carbon from the wood, but this process can be challenging.
3
In a regular fire, all three elements in wood burn quickly, leaving behind ash. The useful carbon is mostly ruined. In order to make charcoal, people have to find ways to burn only the oxygen and hydrogen in the wood and leave behind the valuable carbon. The best way to do this is burning wood slowly while keeping the fire away from open air.
4
Some charcoal may also be made from discarded animal bones. Bone charcoal, also known as bone black, is produced by a technique similar to that used for wood charcoal. The bones must be heated in a sealed container to remove any oil, water, or other non-carbon material to leave behind only the carbon.
The History of Charcoal
5
People have been creating charcoal for hundreds of years. In medieval times, many villages had people who became experts at creating charcoal. These experts would begin by stacking wood into round piles shaped like cones. Within these piles were open chambers to allow smoke to exit, like small volcanoes. Workers would cover these woodpiles with wet dirt and grass that would seal in heat when burned. It was a primitive system, but it worked.
6
The cone-shaped pile would burn slowly for many hours or days and then cool slowly as well. By the time the fire was completely finished, much of the wood was converted into charcoal. However, even more of the wood was ruined in this process. If a worker used one hundred pounds of wood, he or she would most likely only produce about twenty pounds of charcoal. People had to cut down many trees to feed these wasteful fires. The production of charcoal led to deforestation in some parts of the world.
7
The completed charcoal, however, was a cherished resource. People could use it for heating or cooking, but it was mostly used by blacksmiths. Charcoal fires could reach high temperatures and melt metal, allowing blacksmiths to forge tools, weapons, and armor. Later, people used charcoal in foundries to melt and form large quantities of metal. Other people discovered uses for charcoal in chemistry and medicine, and artists used it as pigment in colorful paints.
Charcoal in Modern Times
8
Charcoal is still important in the modern world, but people have found more efficient ways of creating it. Most wood charcoal today is produced in closed ovens. People today get more charcoal from the wood they use and are also able to extract other valuable byproducts from the wood. This makes the process less wasteful of natural resources.
9
Today, charcoal is no longer common as an industrial fuel for melting metal or other such purposes. Rather, modern people most often use charcoal for cooking and cleaning. Charcoal intended for cooking is most often combined with other flammable materials and turned into small rocks called briquettes. Briquettes are easy to ignite and burn with high heat and little smoke, perfect conditions for cooking.
10
Though charcoal is best known for its qualities of combustion, it is not always associated with fire. Charcoal is often used for cleaning and filtration. Charcoal has many tiny holes in it, and its porous nature allows it to grip solids and gases alike. Many people use charcoal for water filtration because the charcoal will hold onto impurities from the water. Charcoal is also important in absorbing gases and odors from the air, and may be used in filters on breathing masks. Although an ancient material, charcoal remains extremely useful in the modern world.
Inline Dropdown Question
Read this sentence from the text.
Within these piles were open chambers to allow smoke to exit, like small volcanoes.
The author most likely included the analogy "like small volcanoes" (response area)
responses
to help readers create a mental image of the pile
to show differences between nature and industry
to suggest that the piles were extremely dangerous
to demonstrate the great size of the burning piles
The correct response is:
to help readers create a mental image of the pile.
This analogy helps readers visualize the structure of the charcoal-making piles by comparing them to small volcanoes, which gives a clearer understanding of their appearance and function.
A student is writing an article for her club flyer. The student wants to revise the draft to add transitions in order to make the text more clear and coherent. Read the draft of the article and complete the task that follows.
Last September, the marine biology club had a bake sale, car wash, and book fair. The department chair was very proud of the students' efforts to raise funds. __________, their fundraising efforts, the marine biology club did not raise enough money to go on a group trip. __________, all of the students were extremely disappointed.
This year, the president of the marine biology club hopes for a better turnout at the fundraising events. It is really important to earn enough funds in order to send the students on the scuba diving trip they have all been planning on. Please make sure to invite all family and friends to support the marine biology club's efforts this year.
Choose the best transition for each of the blank spaces that would clarify the relationship between the two underlined sentences. Select two that apply.
A.
In spite of
B.
Consequently
C.
For example
D.
In addition
E.
In contrast
F.
In essence
For the two blank spaces, the best transitions to clarify the relationship between the underlined sentences are:
A. In spite of - This transition works in the first blank because it conveys that despite the students' hard work, they did not achieve the monetary goal they needed.
E. In contrast - This transition fits the second blank because it highlights the disappointment of the students, contrasting their efforts with the lack of success.
So the complete sentence would read:
"Last September, the marine biology club had a bake sale, car wash, and book fair. The department chair was very proud of the students' efforts to raise funds. In spite of their fundraising efforts, the marine biology club did not raise enough money to go on a group trip. In contrast, all of the students were extremely disappointed."
A student is writing a social studies report for class. Read the paragraph from the student report and answer the question that follows.
After the Louisiana Purchase, the territory of the United States increased by a lot. The land gained stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the border of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and meant that the Unites States controlled twice as much territory as it did before 1803. The purchase was an important achievement of President Jefferson.
The student wants to replace the underlined phrase with something more precise. Which replacement BEST fits the author’s intended purpose and audience?
A.
was added to
B.
became much bigger
C.
grew
D.
doubled
The best replacement for the underlined phrase that fits the author’s intended purpose and audience is:
D. doubled.
This option is precise and directly communicates the significant increase in territory resulting from the Louisiana Purchase, aligning with the factual and informative tone of the report.
A salesman makes both a base salary and also a commission, which is a percentage of what he sells. Each month, if his sales total s dollars, he makes a total of 2,000 + 0.1s dollars. What does 2,000 represent?
A.
his monthly base salary in dollars
B.
the amount of his monthly sales in dollars
C.
his total monthly pay in dollars
D.
his monthly commission in dollars
The correct answer is:
A. his monthly base salary in dollars.
The equation provided indicates that the total earnings of the salesman each month consist of a base salary of 2,000 dollars plus a commission of 10% of his sales (0.1s). Therefore, 2,000 represents his monthly base salary.
5 answers