In the story, "on the gulls' road," how does mrs. ebbling feel about the fact that she doesn't have long to live?
a. she is frightened.
b. she is resentful.
c. she is accepting.
d. she is confused.

What effect is created by the plaque posted on the gate at the entrance to the family's home in nadine gordimer's "once upon a time"? the words written on the plaque offer readers a foreshadowing of the story's outcome without revealing the actual conclusion, the author's use of flashback allows readers to understand what is at the heart of the issues of encroachment in the suburban neighborhood the repetition of the words written on the plaque presents an oxymoron because readers already sense that the plaque has been ineffective in warding off intruders. the author introduces a paradox in which readers are presented with a warning notice when no actual infraction has taken place.

Read this excerpt from the exposition in "the monkey's paw." father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire. what is one piece of information you can infer about the story from this sentence? a. the father in the story is possessed, so he probably says insane things a lot. b. the woman in the story is knitting, so the characters probably don't have good clothes to wear. c. the father is playing chess with the son, but the son is not old enough to know the rules. d. since the father likes taking risks in a game, he might like taking risks in life as well.

Read this passage: many manufacturers prefer plastic as a material for containers because it can be molded into many shapes. but plastic is not very strong. it must be fused with glass or steel for strength. it is also not very durable. even the strongest plastic can break under enough pressure. the biggest disadvantage to using plastic is that it does not decompose. while plastic can be recycled, doing so is tedious and difficult. while it may be more expensive and difficult to work with, aluminum is a much stronger building material with far greater tensile strength. it conducts electricity because it is metal. best of all, aluminum is very easy to recycle. even if it is thrown away, it decomposes much more quickly than most manufacturing materials. how does the compare-and-contrast organizational pattern of the passage support the author's purpose? a. the passage gradually leads up to the point about decomposition to inform the reader about the importance of recycling plastics. b. the passage lists the advantages and disadvantages of each material to make a case for the use of plastic and not aluminum in containers. c. the passage begins with a description of plastic's problems in order to call attention to the good qualities of aluminum. d. the passage shows the superiority of aluminum in order to make a case for the production of stronger plastics.