A writer may use a story to explore or explain some of the conflicts and issues that people encounter in real life. In “American History,” some of the decisions that Elena makes tell us what the author thinks about the issues of identity and society in America in the 1960s. Consider the different decisions that Elena could have made. Ask yourself whether an alternative ending would be better or worse than the original ending. The alternative ending should fit into the logic of the story’s earlier events. It should be consistent with your understanding of the characters. Finally, it should resolve the main conflict of the story or should help Elena make some kind of realization. (13-20 sentences)

Read the excerpt from "save the redwoods."another, one of the finest in the grove, more than three hundred feet high, was skinned alive to a height of one hundred and sixteen feet from the ground and the bark sent to london to show how fine and big that calaveras tree was—as sensible a scheme as skinning our great men would be to prove their greatness.which  best  describes how the excerpt appeals to readers’ emotions? the excerpt provides facts about the tree, which impresses readers’ scientific minds.the excerpt describes how the tree traveled to london, which excites the readers’ sense of adventure.the excerpt compares the tree to a person, which makes readers feel sympathetic toward the tree.the excerpt explains how to skin a tree, which makes readers feel awed at the height of the tree.