2. What is the central theme and the author's purpose in the text below? How does the author develop and communicate this theme and purpose? Give specific
evidence from the text to support your answer. (10 points).
In our current system of voluntary voting, the winner of an
election is determined by the candidate's ability to create
controversy rather than by leadership skill. Campaigns therefore
focus on highly motivated voters. These also tend to be the most
partisan. This constant appeal to extremes on both sides of the
political spectrum abandons voters in the middle. In turn, these
moderates opt out on Election Day, since none of the candidates
seem to be speaking to their concerns. Compulsory voting would
offer candidates less incentive to inflame passions (Ornstein,
Galston). Without having to spend so much of their time trying to
appeal solely to the highly partisan voters most likely to show up
at the polls, they could instead spend more time crafting policy
proposals to meet the needs of all voters. Fewer highly partisan
lawmakers would mean more cooperation and less unnecessary
government gridlock.

What point is the author trying to make by comparing the travel times of the first transcontinental railroad and the first transcontinental flight?

People who are frugal do well financially because they don’t

3one of the biggest impacts a building has on earth is the energy it uses. currently, most of the world’s energy comes from burning fossil fuels. these fuels are dirty and when they are burned they pollute the air and water. one way to burn fewer fossil fuels is to reduce the amount of electricity a building has to use. passive solar heating, which uses heat from the sun, reduces the amount of fossil fuel used to heat buildings. passive solar heating requires a south-facing wall made of glass. when sunlight shines through the wall, it is collected and used to warm the building. another way green buildings reduce their electricity use is to install other energy sources. for example, some green buildings use panels that turn energy from the sun into useable electricity. which is the best summary of paragraph 3? a) fossil fuels are dirty and pollute the air and water. most of the world's energy comes from these fuels. b) the biggest problem of buildings is that they use fuel that is dirty for heating. they need to do something to be more energy efficient. c) panels that turn energy from the sun into electricity and passive solar heating can stop the burning of fossil fuels which pollute air and water. d) since fossil fuels are dirty and pollute the air and water, other technologies that pollute less and produce energy have been developed like solar energy and green buildings.