In an alarming piece of news, it seems the bee population in the United States is taking a dive. CNN reported on February 12, 2007, that beekeepers in 22 states have claimed as much as an 80 percent loss of their bee colonies. Jerry Bromenshenk is the head of Bee Alert Technology, a business that is keeping a close watch on this problem. He reported to CNN that this is a severe and potentially devastating loss. If this continues, beekeepers will not have enough bees to rent to farmers to pollinate their crops. No one knows exactly why the bees are gone. One bee researcher at the U. S. Department of Agriculture says that parasitic mites and a lack of nectar in pollen may have done them in. Other researchers have different theories. Although the mystery has not been solved, there is some reason to hope. The January 2006 issue of Science News reported that scientists are studying species of solitary, or loner, bees. They are hoping to use them to replace the bees that have been lost.
Which sentence could be added to the first paragraph to support the main idea? A. Some of the more harmful pesticides have already been banned in Europe. B. A beekeeper keeps bees to collect honey and beeswax or pollinate crops. C. In the United States, the most common bee raised is the Western honey bee. D. Farmers could stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Agood persuasive essay topic cannot be a. a fact b. debatable c. something somebody else has already written about

Which phrase from the article suggests a tone that is formal but subjective? a- "thirty-six inches long and sixteen inches wide" b- "loads of fun with it" c- "most generous and attractive" d- "must be new subscribers" one of the most generous and attractive offers ever made to washington boys and girls is announced today by the washington times circulation department. for a limited time, national capital youngsters who show enterprise and energy will be given disc wheel coaster wagons in return for a few hours of their time. each boy or girl who sends in to the circulation manager, room 242, the names and addresses of ten friends or relatives who agree to take the washington times for six months, will receive one of these wagons, which can be made a source of profit as well as unending enjoyment for youngsters. the boys and girls are merely asked to obtain the signatures of ten friends or relatives. no money is to be collected and no work is required. the washington times is the most popular and constantly growing newspaper in the national capital and it is easy and simple to obtain the required ten signatures. as soon as the signatures are verified, the disc wheel coaster wagon will be delivered to the energetic boy or girl. the disc wheel coaster wagon is thirty-six inches long and sixteen inches wide. the coaster is built exactly like a high-powered automobile. the disc wheels have rubber tires and true roller bearings. it runs as smoothly as an eight-cylinder automobile. it is built of the strongest wood and is equipped with a reliable hand brake, enabling the owner to stop in an instant. the tongue—usually the first thing about a wagon to break and render the wagon unserviceable—is so stout that a man can jump on it without breaking it. it is built for real boys and active girls and they are bound to have loads of fun with it. besides using the wagon for pleasure and going visiting, boys and girls can use it to make money, running—or riding—errands, delivering packages, wheeling marketing home, etc. the disc wheel coaster wagon is so strongly built that it will withstand the roughest usage to which it may be subjected and will last for years. every boy and girl who wants one of the attractive and most desirable disc wheel coaster wagons should start today to sign up the necessary ten relatives or friends as home delivery subscribers for the washington times for six months. bear in mind that the ten persons whose signatures you obtain must be new subscribers—that is, they must be persons who are not having the washington times delivered at their homes at present. here’s hoping every boy and girl in washington gets a disc wheel coaster wagon before many days.

The cheerleading squad practiced their routine, they were still not ready to perform for an audience. choose the best transitional word or phrase to complete the sentence. a) however b) besides c) although d) therefore