In "the gift of the magi," o. henry most likely uses the irony of the couple’s gifts to express the theme that

a. expensive gifts are sometimes a mistake.
b. love and sacrifice for others is the highest virtue.
c. material goods usually increase in value over time.
d. it is best to retain one’s most prized possessions

If an item does not contain a fragment, write correct. if the item contains a fragment, rewrite it to make it one or more complete sentences. 1.)their faces shining with delight at seeing the movie star. 2.)i wanted one thing. to take a long nap 3.)the committee was irrupted by this application. which we received just yesterday. 4.)i enjoy working with my hands. 5.)traffic lights flashing erratically as the cars jammed in the intersection, unsure whose turn it was to proceed. 6.)the apples cooked. with their sweet juices bubbling away. 7.)just as mr.chao said goodbye. 8.)classified ads filled the pages of the newspaper. 9.)a report to write and math to do before tomorrow. 10.)the silhouettes of the trees against the light of the moon.

Read this passage: many manufacturers prefer plastic as a material for containers because it can be molded into many shapes. but plastic is not very strong. it must be fused with glass or steel for strength. it is also not very durable. even the strongest plastic can break under enough pressure. the biggest disadvantage to using plastic is that it does not decompose. while plastic can be recycled, doing so is tedious and difficult. while it may be more expensive and difficult to work with, aluminum is a much stronger building material with far greater tensile strength. it conducts electricity because it is metal. best of all, aluminum is very easy to recycle. even if it is thrown away, it decomposes much more quickly than most manufacturing materials. how does the compare-and-contrast organizational pattern of the passage support the author's purpose? a. the passage gradually leads up to the point about decomposition to inform the reader about the importance of recycling plastics. b. the passage lists the advantages and disadvantages of each material to make a case for the use of plastic and not aluminum in containers. c. the passage begins with a description of plastic's problems in order to call attention to the good qualities of aluminum. d. the passage shows the superiority of aluminum in order to make a case for the production of stronger plastics.

How does the author's use of hyperbole to characterize jim smily? a) it characterizes smily as an introverted loner who prefers books to people. b) it characterizes smily as a man who is kind and nurturing toward others who are less fortunate. c) it characterizes smily as a man who is evil and vindictive toward any one who crosses his path. d) it characterizes smily as a man who is a risk-taker who willing bets on anything and with anyone.