Jillian reads the following paragraph from a book. tess knew the odds were against her, but duty compelled her to try; her sister’s life depended on her success. she packed only what was essential: a few days’ worth of food and water, a map, and her grandmother’s book of advice. but would her grandmother’s wisdom be enough to overcome the impending dangers? tess forced herself not to consider that right now. which sentence describes the theme of the paragraph? a. danger is part of life. b. hope is often found after tragedy. c. seek knowledge in order to succeed. d. keep going even when faced with a challenge.

Read this excerpt from "edward jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination.” smallpox was introduced to europe sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries and was frequently epidemic during the middle ages. the disease greatly affected the development of western civilization. the first stages of the decline of the roman empire (ad 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic: the plague of antonine, which accounted for the deaths of almost 7 million people. the arab expansion, the crusades, and the discovery of the west indies all contributed to the spread of the disease. unknown in the new world, smallpox was introduced by the spanish and portuguese conquistadors. the disease decimated the local population and was instrumental in the fall of the empires of the aztecs and the incas. similarly, on the eastern coast of north america, the disease was introduced by the early settlers and led to a decline in the native population. before it reached the new world, smallpox played a role in