PART A: Which of the following best explains the simile Thoreau uses to critique the Maine-Texas cable?
A. Thoreau compares Maine to a foolish man attempting to talk to a
deaf woman, mocking the design of new technology and revealing
his own doubts about whether it will really work.
B. Thoreau compares Texas to a deaf woman, commenting on the
fairly recent proclamation of Texas as a state; he is essentially
calling the cable useless, as the new state will be unlikely to listen
anyway.
C. Thoreau compares the cable to the ear trumpet because while he
thinks the cable is useful, it does not close the distance between
the two states, just as the instrument does not change the
woman's natural state of hearing.
D. Thoreau compares the cable to a man with nothing to say to a
deaf woman, supporting his idea that technology may make
communication easier but not necessarily meaningful.

My pretty rose tree by william blake a flower was offered to me, such a flower as may never bore; but i said, ‘i’ve a pretty rose tree,’ and i passed the sweet flower o’er. then i went to my pretty rose tree, to tend her by day and by night; but my rose turned away with jealousy, and her thorns were my only delight. what is the rhyme scheme of the two stanzas in this poem? a. abba, cdda b. abab, acac c. abab, cddc d. abaa, cddc

Fifteen-year-old kwan sat on a large boulder on the rocky shore and watched her seven-year-old brother, min, race along the beach close to the water’s edge. the handmade kite, streaming high in the air behind him, created a striking image against the vivid blue sky. occasionally, min called out, “kwan, look at me! i’m flying! i’m flying! ” she beamed and waved at him, urging him on in his glee. she recalled the day her parents first brought home the little bundle from the hospital, the first boy in the family, making her the happiest big sister ever. the family had had a new baby to care for and cherish, and she had a precious little brother to shower with love and attention. min brought joy and delight to the whole household, and his presence completed the family.kwan smiled again as she watched him run along, and she felt great contentment at the pleasure he took in flying the kite they had made together. ever since father had taken min to the korean kite festival, he had begged for a kite of his own. the multicolored dragons, birds, and box kites with their colorful tails and plumes appeared to enchant min as he watched them soar and race in the clear blue sky. he stood mesmerized by the panoply of colors. “someday, i will race a kite in the festival! ” min stated with determination. when min made up his mind that a kite would be the perfect summer project for him and kwan, she was surprised. “i don’t want a kite-making kit,” he informed their father. “i want to build it myself—with kwan’s .” kwan initially wondered why min included her in his quest for a kite, but she quickly realized that her clever brother had correctly surmised that their father would more likely approve the request if min’s big sister were there to him. how could kwan refuse? kwan gazed out at her brother and heard his shrieks of delight as he tried to direct their marvelous flying creation. she watched it wheel, spin, and dive—a wild, colorful bird putting on an aerial display. its gold and red crepe-paper wings fluttered in the air, mimicking the flight of a predatory bird surveying the landscape for prey. it swooped and dived, perhaps discovering a possible meal, and then went airborne again to avoid the rocky terrain below. min was the falconer, guiding his bird on its path through the sky, not yet ready to call it back to the ground. but kwan grew concerned when she looked out at the dark, threatening clouds beginning to roll in off the water. when she saw the streaks of lightning within the cloud formation, she pointed to the distant storm and called out to her little brother to bring in the kite. min nodded and rolled in the kite string, bringing his bird home. “let’s go,” kwan told her brother and put her arm around him to fold him safely under her wing as they both held onto the kite. “it’s time to go home.”how does the author best develop the theme that with determination, one can achieve a goal? a-the author uses an extended metaphor to show how min successfully builds a kite that flies like a colorful bird. b-the author uses a metaphor to compare kwan to a mother bird, protecting her young one from the thunderstorm.c-the author uses imagery to show how the kite mimics a predatory bird under min's careful direction. d-the author uses personification to show how min's kite swoops and dives in the air to avoid the rocks below it.

Baca use comforting imagery. which lines have a more serious tone than the rest of the poem a. when the outside world / no longer cares if you live or die; b. so it is a pot full of yellow corn / to warm your belly in winter, c. remember. / i love you.d. it's all i have to give, / and all anyone needs to live,