How did the Civil War influence the beginning of American realism? A. Most soldiers came from the middle and lower classes, and Americans wanted to know more about them.

B. With the onset of industrial and scientific advances, Americans no longer believed in the supernatural.

C. With all of the death and destruction from the war, Americans wanted to escape into an ideal world.

D. Despite the industrial and scientific advances, Americans still believed in the supernatural.

Skill check questions rearrange the paragraphs below into the correct sequence. that's because engineers on the ultraclean project have invented a self-cleaning, antibacterial metal surface that repels water with an intricate layer of laser-engraved valleys. when it rains, the lotus does not become damp; the water simply trickles off in fat droplets, taking any bugs and dirt with it. the drudgery may not be around much longer, however, if a team of italian scientists has anything to do with it “it's simply an amazing plant,” concluded professor luca romoli, leader of the project, “and we've succeeded in mimicking it. magnifico! ” few tasks in life hold less joy than scrubbing the ghost of somebody else’s porridge from a saucepan. the starting point for the research was the leaves of the lotus flower.