Which passage below has the most critical tone?
a
on the train, the man slowly clipped his fingernails. he focused on the task,
beginning with his pinky finger and finishing with his thumb.
b
on the train, the tired, old man began clipping his fingernails. he was trying to
distract himself from his loneliness by focusing on this one small task, moving
from pinky to thumb.
c
the man-right in the middle of the crowded train-began to clip his long, yellow
fingernails. he did it slowly, as if he didn't even care that a dozen other people
could see and hear him.
d
the man on the train clipped his fingernails. it took him 2 minutes and 8 seconds.
he started on his pinky and finished with his thumb. when he was finished, he put
the clippers back into his jacket pocket.

It is true that prior to 1914 the united states often had been disturbed by events in other continents. we had even engaged in two wars with european nations and in a number of undeclared wars in the west indies, in the mediterranean and in the pacific for the maintenance of american rights and for the principles of peaceful commerce. but in no case had a serious threat been raised against our national safety or our continued independence. what is the theme of this excerpt? a. the responsibility for americans to avoid involvement in war.b. america’s history of international involvement.c. a new kind of threat to american security.d. america’s history as a peaceful nation.

Read the excerpt from the land. in the late afternoon i did the same, but all the time i was on the stallion, i was aware that mitchell was watching me. he had appeared on the edge of the woods and had just stood there watching ghost wind and me as we went round and round the meadow. finally, on one of our turns past him, he said: "s'pose you thinkin' you a real somebody 'cause you can ride that stallion." i looked down at mitchell and stopped, knowing that despite our understanding, he was itching for a fight with me. now, i don't know what possessed me in that moment to say the next thing i did. maybe i was feeling guilty that because i was my daddy's son, i could ride ghost wind. maybe it was that, but it wasn't out of fear i said what i said. i no longer was afraid of mitchell. "you want to ride him? " i asked. mitchell took a step backward. it was obvious he hadn't expected me to say that. "you know i can't ride him," he said. "your white daddy'd kill me." "you want to ride him? " i asked again. mitchell looked at the stallion, then at me. "so, what if i do? " what intrinsic motivation does the author most likely intend the reader to infer from the passage? paul is motivated by his need to have mitchell praise his riding skills. mitchell is motivated by his need to have paul praise his riding skills. paul is motivated by jealousy and wishes he had free time like mitchell. mitchell is motivated by jealousy and wishes he could ride the horse.

Which fact from the tinker vs des moines court decision best supports the reasoning that the conduct of the student protesters was protected by the fourteenth amendment, which prohibits deprivation of life liberty, or property? apex