Dear journal: i think that armenia is like no other place on the planet. it is located between europe, asia, and the middle east. armenia is like the connection point between these very different cultural worlds, and it absorbs a little from each of them. the result is a land with many kinds of ideas and lifestyles.

although i was born and raised in the united states, i am now in armenia visiting my aunt peprone and uncle agatan. i know that the words “america” and “armenia” look a lot alike, but the countries themselves are different in many ways. every day i’m surprised by the little unexpected lessons i learn about life in armenia.

why did the author write this passage?
a) to address his friends in america
b) to record his personal experiences
c) to persuade people to visit armenia
d) to provide hints for international travel

Read the two excerpts from act 4, scene 3, and act 5, scene 5, of julius caesar. cassius. ha! portia? brutus. she is dead. cassius. how scaped i killing when i crossed you so? o insupportable and touching loss! upon what sickness? brutus. impatient of my absence, and grief that young octavius with mark antony have made themselves so strong—for with her death that tidings came. with this, she fell distraught, and, her attendants absent, swallowed fire. brutus. why this, volumnius. the ghost of caesar hath appeared to me two several times by night—at sardis once, and this last night, here in philippi fields. i know my hour is come. volumnius. not so, my lord. brutus. nay, i am sure it is, volumnius. thou seest the world, volumnius, how it goes. our enemies have beat us to the pit, [low alarums] it is more worthy to leap in ourselves than tarry till they push us. good volumnius, thou know’st that we two went to school together. even for that, our love of old, i prithee, hold thou my sword hilts, whilst i run on it. . so fare you well at once, for brutus’ tongue hath almost ended his life’s history. night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest, that have but laboured to attain this hour. . i prithee, strato, stay thou by thy lord. thou art a fellow of a good respect. thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it. hold then my sword, and turn away thy face while i do run upon it. wilt thou, strato? which statement best compares brutus’s remarks at the death of his wife, portia, to his words before his own death? brutus shows more sadness for portia’s death than he does for his own. brutus is more philosophical about his own death than he is about portia’s. brutus uses more imagery when speaking about portia’s death than about his own. brutus reacts more matter-of-factly about his own death than he does about portia’s.

On her zoo blog, bindi describes the experience of walking the red carpet with her mum that evening, and the unmatched joy of what happened soon after. “all the categories came up, but then mine did! they said all these top actresses' names then my name! the guy said 'and the winner is . . ’ . . my heart stopped . . ‘bindi irwin! ’ i could not believe it, i won! i was amazed, in tears, i could hardly talk! i’ll never forget that great trip! ” what does the hyperbole in the excerpt the reader understand about bindi? she had a medical problem. she was extremely frightened. she became very excited. she won an important award.

Tia and lin had been best friends since kindergarten. both avid soccer players, the girls decided to try out for the high school team together. unfortunately, there was just one open spot, so only one of the girls would be chosen. they both worked hard, and on tryout day, they did their best. when the team roster came out, lin was excited to see that she had made the team but sad that tia had not. tia was happy for her friend and vowed to work harder so she would make the team the next year. which sentence is the exposition of the passage