Read the paragraph from "The Blue Whale-Largest Vertebrate in the World." Then, in your own words, write a short summary two to five sentences) of what the paragraph is about. Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever existed on Earth , but they almost disappeared before our generation got to see them. Extensive hunting for whale oil in the 1900s led to their near extinction. Between 1900 and 1965, about 360, 000 blue whales were killed. Finally , in 1966, the International Whaling Commission placed blue whales on its endangered species list. Now there are only a few thousand blue whales left to swim the oceans of the world.

In a 10-12 sentence response-style paragraph, explore the degree to which you agree or disagree with faulkner’s message. “i believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. he is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. the poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. it is his privilege to man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. the poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to him endure and prevail” (faulkner 773-775).