What details does the speaker use to contrast life in her father's original culture and life in the city?

The title

Brendan is playing in the backyard.

If the author of the gift of the magi had made the reader aware of the gifts that jim had purchased in the beginning of the story this would be an example of

Plz asap read this sentence from paragraph 3 of the article. the boys and girls are merely asked to obtain the signatures of ten friends or relatives. how does the word "merely" affect the meaning of the sentence? a- it suggests that asking people to subscribe to the washington times is something negative. b- it implies that obtaining ten signatures is not a requirement for receiving a prize. c- it downplays the fact that to win the prize, children must ask people to subscribe to the washington times. d- it emphasizes that children receive the prize only if they obtain ten signatures.