The North American river otter is found in the United States and Canada. The river otter is a member of the weasel family. It is equally at home in the water as it is on land. An adult river otter can weigh between 10 and 30 pounds. Because the otter spends much of its time in the water, it is protected and insulated by a thick coat of water-repellant fur. River otters live in underground burrows close to the water's edge. The river otter’s home is called a den. The den has many tunnel openings. One of these openings will lead directly into a river, lake or other body of water. Female otters give birth to their young in these dens.

River otter babies are called pups. A litter of river otter babies usually consists of one to six pups. The pups remain in the den until they are ten to twelve weeks old. At this time, the mother begins to teach them to swim and hunt for food on their own.

River otters prefer to eat fish, but they will also consume various amphibians, turtles, and sometimes, small mammals such as mice. Bobcats, coyotes and foxes may occasionally prey upon young otters, but because river otters spend most of their time underground or in the water, they have few natural predators.
Which detail from the passage tells you that river otters use the water to escape from enemies?
A) It is equally at home in the water as it is on land.
B) The pups remain in the den until they are ten to twelve weeks old.
C) Bobcats, coyotes and foxes may occasionally prey upon young otters...
D) One of these openings will lead directly into a river, lake or other body of water.

Which three parts of these excerpts reflect the idea that war affects not only the minds of the combatants but also their physical reactions?

Which inference can a reader make based on the information in the excerpt?

Construct a written analysis of approximately 300−500 words about the poem “the cremation of sam mcgee.” your analysis should explain how the figurative language and literary devices contribute either to the meaning or to the narrative structure— plot, setting, characterization, and point of view—of the poem. your analysis should contain a thesis that is discussed throughout the essay. the essay should also contain textual evidence to support the analysis and a concluding paragraph. be sure to use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling, and write using a formal style with precise vocabulary. use terms from the list provided below to construct your analysis. ballad—a type of narrative poem that tells a story, usually in the form of a folktale or legend stanza—a division of a poem that consists of two or more lines diction—the selection and use of words that influence the style and tone of the poem connotation—the emotional suggestion or implied meaning of a word that goes beyond its dictionary definition denotation—the actual or dictionary definition of a word rhythm—the recurrence of sound patterns created by a series of stressed and unstressed syllables meter—the pattern of beats within a line of poetry created by the rhythmic structure of stressed sounds rhyme scheme—a pattern of rhymes in poetry tone—the attitude of the poet toward the subject or readers, separate from mood or atmosphere mood—the overall or prevailing feeling that is created in a story or poem theme—the central idea of the story that reveals something about human life or behavior as you write your analysis, consider these questions: what is the function of rhyme in the poem? what would the poem be like if it did not rhyme? how do the rhyme and rhythm affect or enhance the meaning of the poem? how does the use of imagery and figurative language affect the poem? how is the subject matter and conflict affected by the structure of the poem? did i conclude my analysis clearly, supporting my analysis?