Once upon a time, a princess was locked in a castle. She waited and waited for someone to come by and rescue her. That was how it happened in fairy tales, wasn't it? One day, as she gazed out the window waiting for her handsome prince, she noticed that the castle wall was not smooth but instead had stones jutting out that a person could use to carefully climb down. She did it that night. It was simple, really. After that, she became the sort of person who got things done.

What are two themes of this text?

A. No one should be overly dependent on others, and it's better to fail at reaching a goal than not to try at all.
B. You should trust your instincts whenever possible, and you can usually reach your goals if you act strategically enough.
C. It's best to rely on your own skill rather than waiting for others, and if you observe your surroundings carefully, you'll usually find something useful.
D. Loneliness is not permanent, and getting things done is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Question from select the correct answer. what argument is susan b. anthony making in the passage? a. male citizens created the laws to secure the rights of men, so legal reform is required to secure women’s rights. b. women are often punished for committing criminal acts that are pardoned when committed by men. c. women are judged under laws supposedly written only for males, so they are entitled to the same rights as males. d. the court judge modified the original documents to arrest and try anthony unfairly. has anyone else got this?

Read the excerpt from elie wiesel’s all rivers run to the sea. why were those trains allowed to roll unhindered into poland? why were the tracks leading to birkenau never bombed? i have put these questions to american presidents and generals and to high-ranking soviet officers. since moscow and washington knew what the killers were doing in the death camps, why was nothing done at least to slow down their “production”? that not a single allied military aircraft ever tried to destroy the rail lines converging on auschwitz remains an outrageous enigma to me. birkenau was “processing” ten thousand jews a day. stopping a single convoy for a single night—or even for just a few hours—would have prolonged so many lives. based on the paragraph, the author would most likely agree that it is best to avoid confrontation at all costs. people need to be proactive when they witness an injustice. countries should remain neutral to keep alliances strong. moscow and washington are to be blamed for the holocaust.

What else do you think experts can learn from studying the language of written work? what do you think is the value of studying the language of william shakespeare whose writing is over hundreds of years old?