Excerpt from the song of the cardinal i
gene stratton-porter

4 flashing through the tree-tops of the limberlost there are birds whose colour is more brilliant than that of the gaudiest flower lifting its face to light and air. the lilies of the mire are not so white as the white herons that fish among them. the ripest spray of goldenrod is not so highly coloured as the burnished gold on the breast of the oriole that rocks on it. the jays are bluer than the calamus bed they wrangle above with throaty chatter. the finches are a finer purple than the ironwort. for every clump of foxfire flaming in the limberlost, there is a cardinal glowing redder on a bush above it. these may not be more numerous than other birds, but their brilliant colouring and the fearless disposition make them seem so.

the subject of the last paragraph is
a) the colors of the flowers.
b) the intense colors of the birds.
c) the quality of light in the swamp.
d) the variety of trees in the limberlost.

B)the intense colors of the birds.  

Explanation:

B) the intense colors of the birds.

Explanation:

In this passage, the author describes the intense colours of the birds that he encounters. However, in order to convey this message, he compares them to plants and flowers of intense colours. He talks about birds that are brighter than flowers, whiter than lilies, shinier than goldenrod, bluer than calamus, more purple than ironwort, and redder than foxfire.

explanation:

the intellectual community is a place like a university where people with high marks, or original thought or an outstanding interest in something gather. they take classes together. they discuss things. they argue sometimes, and not always in a friendly way. but if they argue, it is because they are passionate about something, and there is nothing the matter with that.

lately i've been hearing rumors that it is not the way it was when i went to school. the one thing all schools used to have was free speech. the 1st amendment rights were sacred. now i'm hearing they are not. students can be reported and disciplined for giving an off the wall opinion.

that is shameful.

intellectual ideas are meant to be discussed. they are meant to be chewed up and worked on. that is the primary responsibility of every intellectual community. if that is not the way it is, then that is not a school to go to.

social media, in my opinion, and this is just an opinion. i wouldn't take it too seriously, complicates everything to do with human communication. you can want to share things and others feel they have the right to be very critical or sarcastic or mean about what you share. lack of respect is an immeasurable intolerable condition and social media abounds with that sort of thing.

one of the things i really like about is how careful people are because they must have some idea that the mods are exactly what the word says they are. they police this board very well, and what is so remarkable about them is that they are no older than the average grade 12 student.

my hat goes off to them (which means i respect them quite a bit).