If the lion is the king of the jungle, then the polar bear is the king of the Arctic. Polar bears are majestic, powerful creatures that capture our imagination and are a living definition of wild. Unfortunately, polar bears’ habitat is changing so much that they may not survive in the wild beyond this century. Polar bears’ survival depends on sea ice. They swim from ice floe to ice floe in search of seals and walruses. However, climate change has caused the polar bears’ hunting habitat to shrink in size. Ice floes are smaller, farther apart and farther from shore, making it necessary for polar bears to swim great distances in their hunt for food. These long journeys are dangerous. An Alaska Science Center study found that bear cubs swimming after their mothers had a 45% death rate.

The length of season in which polar bears can hunt has also decreased by almost three weeks in the past twenty years. The reason is that the ice sheets are freezing later and melting earlier. The shorter time for food hunting has caused weight loss and poor health in the polar bears. Their populations have dropped 20 to 40 percent in most areas.

Some people argue that polar bears will adapt to a new lifestyle, eating alternative foods, such as dolphins trapped by ice pockets or Arctic goose eggs. But, according to Karyn Rode, a wildlife biologist in Alaska, these occasional creative meals aren’t going to be enough to save all of the polar bears.

We may lose the polar bear, the wildest creature of the Arctic, because of habitat loss caused by climate change. What can we do? Join the World Wildlife Federation, or Polar Bears International, and send an email to your local congressperson, urging him or her to fight climate change and protect polar bears.

**Which sentence in the opening paragraph is the author's claim?**

A. If the lion is the king of the jungle, then the polar bear is king of the Arctic.

B. Polar bears are majestic, powerful creatures that capture our imagination and are a living definition of wild.

C. Unfortunately, polar bears’ habitat is changing so much that they may not survive in the wild beyond this century.

In marigolds, which character can be described as having a laugh so loud that the great oak seemed to laugh with it?

Each state in america has a different seal, or symbol, that represents the traditional culture of that state. the state seal of georgia is rich in meaning, history, and patriotism. when was the seal adopted? 2georgia’s state constitution established the state seal in 1798. however, as georgia’s political circumstances changed, so too did the state’s seal. between 1863 and 1865, georgia used a different state seal to represent its separation from the rest of the country during the civil war. then, from 1868 to1871, georgia’s secretary of state nathan c. barnett hid the original seal when the capital was occupied by the north’s victorious enemy forces. he readopted the original seal in 1872. 4georgia’s state seal remained unchanged for 42 years. then, a law was passed that required the state to alter the date on the seal. the year 1799 had originally appeared on the seal to represent the year that the seal was officially adopted. the new law changed the date on the seal to 1776, the year that america’s founding fathers signed the declaration of independence. what does the seal look like? 5just as coins each have a “heads” side and a “tails” side, state seals also each have a front and a back. the front of the seal shows three tall columns, or pillars. perched atop these pillars is an arch that displays the word “constitution.” the two end pillars are each adorned with a ribbon-like banner that reads “wisdom” and “moderation.” a third banner, reading “justice,” hangs in front of the middle pillar. when read together, the banners make up the official state motto of georgia: “wisdom, justice, and moderation.” the seal also exhibits a picture of a soldier holding a sword. the words “state of georgia” appear along the top. the year 1776 is printed at the bottom. 6the back of the seal portrays a rural shoreline scene featuring a large ship and small boat. also included in the picture are bundles of tobacco plants and cotton and a farmer working in a field. across the top of the seal are the words “agriculture and commerce.” the bottom of the seal is also marked with the year 1776. what do the symbols on the seal represent? 7each item on the seal is symbolic of georgia’s history and the history of america as a united country. the pillars on the front stand for the three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—and how they all work together to support the country and its constitution. the man holding the sword represents soldiers who defend the country and its laws. 8the boats on the back of the seal symbolize the agricultural commerce of georgia. similarly, the farmer and crop bundles represent georgia’s dependence on agriculture for survival. during the mid to late 1800s, over 700,000 cotton bales were produced each year. cotton is still a “king” crop in georgia. the state currently produces almost three million bales per year. this is only one reason why the state is an important asset to its country. read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 13) the author's main purpose in writing this article is a) to inform. b) to create. c) to persuade. d) to entertain. 14) in paragraph eight, the word asset means a) benefit. b) debt. c) element. d) expense. 15) in paragraph six, the word portrays means a) condescends. b) deceives. c) honors. d) reveals.

Underline the ic or ic's and place the proper punctuation if needed. the board of trustees admits that it made a mistake because the employees were toolazy nothing happen to the board