Read the excerpt from "Tools of the Spymaster." General Clinton, concerned about what General Howe was planning and doing, made use of a mask to write a secret message in a letter to General Burgoyne.

Before writing the letter, Clinton had placed an hourglass-shaped mask on a piece of paper and then had formed the secret message within that shape.

The unmasked letter had enough false information in it to fool any American who happened to see it. But when Burgoyne viewed the letter with the mask, he read Clinton's view of the real situation: Howe has made a bad move; I don't have enough men to do anything about it.

Which statement best expresses the central idea of the excerpt?

Generals were able to send secret messages to each other using a mask.
General Howe failed to help the other generals defeat the Americans.
The British were better at using codes than the Americans.
False information in a letter could cause problems for the Americans.

Read the sentence from barrio boy by ernesto galarza. "now, ernesto, you are the man of the family. you will take care of your mother until we are together in sacramento. which statement best describes the figurative language used in these sentences? a simile is used to compare ernesto to a man. a simile is used to paint a picture of family life. a metaphor is used to compare a man and his family. a metaphor is used to paint a picture of responsibility.

Which two passages in this excerpt from the death of ivan illych does leo tolstoy use to suggest that ivan ilych feels like his life is slipping away from him? "what's the use? it makes no difference," he said to himself, staring with wide-open eyes into the darkness. "death. yes, death. and none of them knows or wishes to know it, and they have no pity for me. now they are playing." (he heard through the door the distant sound of a song and its accompaniment.) "it's all the same to them, but they will die too! fools! i first, and they later, but it will be the same for them. and now they are merry . . the beasts! " anger choked him and he was agonizingly, unbearably miserable. "it is impossible that all men have been doomed to suffer this awful horror! " he raised himself. "something must be wrong. i must calm myself—must think it all over from the beginning." and he again began thinking. "yes, the beginning of my illness: i knocked my side, but i was still quite well that day and the next. it hurt a little, then rather more. i saw the doctors, then followed despondency and anguish, more doctors, and i drew nearer to the abyss. my strength grew less and i kept coming nearer and nearer, and now i have wasted away and there is no light in my eyes.

How do "the jilting of granny weatherall" and "the love somg of j alfred prufrock" differ?