Metaphors in esperanza rising

Dogs make wonderful pets because they us stay happy and healthy. the topic sentence is "dogs make wonderful pets." , is this correct? i keep doubting myself.

Do you think that the american culture has defined what “normal” is and so our perception of chris mccandless is skewed based on that?

When the author quotes the actress sarah brown as saying, i truly believe that this film gives an important message to audiences, the author is using a) repetition. b) a testimonial. c) an ethical appeal. d) the bandwagon method.