Read this excerpt from "fences." i peek through the cactus fence and watch the women rub oil sweeter than honey into their arms and legs while their children jump waves or sip drinks from long straws, coconut white, mango yellow. what is one theme of the poem that the speaker’s perspective reveals? a. there are hurtful divisions between rich and poor. b. people often do not get to visit their hometown’s sites. c. children live in a fantasy world that adults cannot join. d. the ocean is powerful, and one needs to be careful around it.

Read this passage from "the city without us" by alan weisman: which statement best explains how the structure of the passage supports the author's purpose? a. the passage traces several events in the order that they will occur to highlight how nature conquers human civilization. b. the passage shows that natural forces such as an absence of predators and an increase in the squirrel population can lead to destructive results. c. the passage shows that natural forms such as an absence of predators and human hunters can lead to the reforestation of new york city. d. the passage identifies how two natural forces are co-dependent - the deforestation of new york and the extinction of squirrels.