Based on the context of this excerpt from w. w. jacobs's "the monkey's paw," what does the word placidly mean?

without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of laburnam villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.

a completing a task in a frantic manner
b having a particular motive for an action
c appearing to be calm and relaxed
d acting harshly or stubbornly

Jenna stood in front of the closed door. she knew she hadevery right to be here. your exam scores are just as high ascora's, she said to herself. there's no reason you shouldhave been left off the math team while cora was namedcaptain. she had never been one to rock the boat, but shecouldn't just let this lie.she pushed the door open and saw ms. jenson, the mathteam advisor, sitting at her desk. "ms. jenson? can i talk toyou for a minute? " her voice wavered, but she tried to lookconfident."sure," said ms. jenson, "but i hope this isn't about namingcora captain of the math team. i'm afraid my decision isfinal."jenna took a deep breath and prepared to plead her case.which statement best describes the external conflict in this passage?

Read the passage, then use the explanation to infer the meaning of the word predominant. the novel was so popular that it was eventually added to a list of books that every ninth grader had to read. it became the predominant work of literature. what is the most likely definition of the word predominant?

Which sentences use correct subject-verb agreement? select two options. nancy and jim, the original founders of the gardening club, need more volunteers. one pair of gardening shears has been missing from the gardening shed since last year. the club, which will meet on sundays, require that everyone sign a waiver before joining. the town have generously donated a plot of land for the club to use for at least five years. community gardening have always been an opportunity to grow nutritious fruits and veg