Read the following thesis statement. Then use the supporting details provided to write an expository body paragraph. It should contain a topic sentence that reflects the thesis statement, support the topic sentence with evidence, and provide a concluding statement that reorients the reader to the paragraph's main idea. Passage
Thesis Statement:
Summer reading is a valuable way to increase classroom performance because it helps students retain important skills from year to year.

Source 1:
A study conducted by Northern State University shows that the retention of critical reading skills is up to 25 percent higher in students who participate in the school's summer reading program.

Source 2:
A poll conducted by the Easthampton School District revealed that students who read books over the summer felt "better mentally prepared" for the upcoming school year than those who did not read.

Source 3:
Education expert Janna Knopp pointed out that "the brain isn't technically a muscle, but it might as well be. We need to exercise it, or it gets weak. It's no surprise that students who take up summer reading are in better shape when school starts up."

This is a set of words that begins with a preposition.

(20 points) passage: this year will be a record-breaking year for storms 1it looks like 2012 will be a year for the record books. thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes have increased across the country. the storms' high winds and heavy rains are making history. early tornado and hurricane seasons 2in march, not usually a busy month for tornadoes, the south and midwest had a large number of twisters. warm weather made conditions ripe for the creation of tornadoes. on some days, twisters dropped from the sky by the dozen. 3hurricane season also came early. two tropical storms hit the southeast in may. two more strong storms followed in june. severe thunderstorms 4many states that have escaped tornadoes and hurricanes have had severe thunderstorms. these giant storms dumped several inches of rain and caused flooding across the northeast and midwest. 5the end of hurricane season is months away, and this year's storm count and rainfall amounts could leave 2011 in the dust. forecasters say the wet, windy weather might stick around until fall. labor day parade rained out 6there is no joy in green town, where the annual labor day parade was called off because of heavy rain. the town's mayor says the parade hasn't been rained out in fifty years. 7a strong band of thunderstorms hit green town on sunday. more than two inches of rain fell each hour. by monday morning, main street looked more like a creek than a parade route. mayor nora bell said she had to call off the parade. "the heavy rains have created a serious safety issue in green town," she said. 8the loss of the labor day parade is green town's second disappointment this summer. in may, the memorial day parade was also called off because of rain. "this must be one of the wettest summers in history," mayor bell said. 9according to the national weather service, mayor bell is right. this summer will break rainfall records in green town and across the country. question: who would obtain the most useful information from the passage? a) someone planning a holiday picnic. b) someone interested in documenting annual meteorological patterns. c) an advocate for the green town labor day parade. d) someone who wishes to do research on the alleged truth of the "global warming" phenomenon.

Which excerpt from the war of the worldseffectively reveals how the author relates the climax of the narrative through the narrator's thoughts? the war of the worldsall this had happened with such swiftness that i had stood motionless, dumbfounded and dazzled by the flashes of light. had that death swept through a full circle, it must inevitably have slain me in my surprise. but it passed and spared me, and left the night about me suddenly dark and unfamiliar.and then, with a renewed horror, i saw a round, black object bobbing up and down on the edge of the pit. it was the head of the shopman who had fallen in, but showing as a little black object against the hot western sun.at that time it was quite clear in my own mind that the thing had come from the planet mars, but i judged it improbable that it contained any living creature. i thought the unscrewing might be automatic.my mind ran fancifully on the possibilities of its containing manuscript, on the difficulties in translation that might arise, whether we should find coins and models in it, and so forth. yet it was a little too large for assurance on this idea. i felt an impatience to see it opened.