Historic Inventions by Rupert S. Holland (adapted excerpt)

Humphrey Davy invented the safety-lamp that helped protect miners from the perils of flammable fire-damp1.

Explosions of coal-gas were only too common in the mines of England, leading to detrimental effects on those who labored underground. The biggest mine-owners met to see whether some protection against such accidents could not be devised. After much discussion, they appointed a committee to call on Sir Humphrey Davy and asked him to investigate the possibilities for them.

He took up the question, experimented with fire-damp, and found that it was in reality light carburetted hydrogen. He visited many mines and took into careful consideration the conditions under which the men worked. For months he investigated and experimented, and in 1815, he constructed the safety-lamp. This was an oil lamp, which had a chimney or cage of wire gauze that kept the flame of the lamp from passing through and igniting the fire-damp outside. The cage allowed air to pass and light to escape. Even if the combustion of the fire-damp caused the wire gauze to become red hot, it was still efficient as a safety-lamp.

Which statement best describes the writer's purpose? A. to instruct B. to inform C. to persuade D. to entertain

Stress generally occurs when someone? a.becomes overconfident b.disregards others c.feels overwhelmed

According to huxley, what is the main reason why people use language inappropriately when discussing war

Read the passage from animal farm. as clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. if she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. these scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old major first stirred them to rebellion. if she herself had had any picture of the future, it had been of a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip, all equal, each working according to his capacity, the strong protecting the weak, as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of major's speech. instead—she did not know why—they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes. there was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind. she knew that, even as things were, they were far better off than they had been in the days of jones, and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings. whatever happened she would remain faithful, work hard, carry out the orders that were given to her, and accept the leadership of napoleon. but still, it was not for this that she and all the other animals had hoped and toiled. it was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of jones's gun. such were her thoughts, though she lacked the words to express them. what was most likely orwell’s purpose for writing this passage? to show that clover is more sensitive to violence than the others to remind readers of major's speech and the original rebellion to present napoleon as a cruel leader unworthy of the animals’ support to represent misled followers and their dashed hopes for better lives