Read the following excerpt from "ellis island" by barbara davis-pyle. then i smiled because all of the questions were over. the men asked papa and mama to read some italian words from a book, and the official stamped our papers. then he grinned and said in english, “welcome to the united states of america! ” and in that instant, joy won the fight on mama’s face. we were taken to a boat that would sail us across the harbor to the city and a brand new life. as i boarded i smiled up at lady liberty who stood tall with her spoon in hand, ready to stir us in. which is the main area of influence found in this excerpt? the author’s heritage the author’s family and friends an important event in the author’s life popular culture

In american sign language, every statement begins with a: preposition. verb. topic. spelled word.

Padma has written a paper on the effects of the black death, a plague that struck europe in 1347 and killed millions of people. she focused on three major results of the plague: • a smaller population after the plague led to higher wages and greater independence for workers. • the power of the catholic church weakened because so many members had died and others had lost their faith. • a lack of farm workers led more people to raise livestock rather than planting crops, changing the european diet. read her conclusion: it does not seem right to say that an experience as horrifying as the black death had any “good” sides. still, the changes that followed the plague improved the lives of peasants. people who had previously lived in poverty, forced to work for a single employer, now had higher wages and the freedom to change jobs. even so, the continent had been devastated and would take many years to recover. which statement best evaluates her conclusion? a. the conclusion effectively summarizes all the writer’s main points. b. the conclusion is engaging, but it introduces an unnecessary new idea. c. the conclusion is engaging, but only summarizes one of the writer’s points. d. the conclusion is engaging but it does not summarize any of the writer’s main points.

Which line from the text provides specific support for the idea that mantids are excellent hunters? a) first, mantids show an amazing mastery of hunting skills. b) mantids eat a wide variety of insects, including moths, crickets, bees, flies, and grasshoppers. c) they have large, powerful front legs, with spikes that them hold on to prey. d) finally, they are very personable, as far as insects go. (language arts)