Which word in the sentence is a gerund?
pounding
blowing
driving
exciting

Which statement is general rather than specific? a) "marian anderson was one of my favorite singers." b) "next thing you know, everything changed for marian." c) "she was born in philadelphia, the oldest of three girls." d) "marian's remarkable life story was an inspiration to me."

Which detail from the text best demonstrates the effect of totalitarianism on the animals? "progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed." "it had been decided to build the walls three feet thick." "they were always cold, and usually hungry as well." "for a long time the quarry was full of snowdrifts and nothing could be done."

Constructed response paragraph: after reading “the case for short words,” do you think the author makes a convincing case that short words are effective? explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.