Why is unplanned
humor often funnier than planned humor?

What is the central idea of paragraph 1 of the story?

Why does the author's description of the mercury boiler—"the mercury, when vaporized, going into a mercury turbine and then into a condenser, remaining hot enough to generate steam in a steam boiler"—intentionally incorporate such highly technical language? using technical language establishes the expertise of the writer and convey the complex nature of the process being described. using technical language allows the writer to subtly poke fun at those who seek to make basic processes seem overly complicated. using technical language encourages readers to develop deeper and more meaningful personal connections to the information. using technical language lets the writer make clear to readers that the article is intended for readers who are themselves experts on electricity.

Consider the text and its central idea. informational text: one privilege that many teens look forward to is the ability to earn a driver’s license. driver’s licensing requirements are not the same in every state. in some states, young people can be fully licensed before their sixteenth birthday. in other states, the privilege to drive has some restrictions until the driver is eighteen years old. in every state, driver education is a required step in earning a license. students might earn a permit, or provisional license, and spend six months to a year driving with an adult in the car. since states are very different based on population, development, and roadways, the laws are different, too. central idea: states makes different laws about licensing drivers with some similar requirements. what supporting detail is most important to include in a summary of this text? teens get excited about learning to drive. in some states, kids can get their license on their birthday. some states are heavily populated, with dangerous roads to navigate. every state includes driver education as part of licensing requirements.