Didion in her essay brings up a problem many students still face today: the pressure to get into a "good" college that begins in early childhood and the anxiety surrounding acceptance. Think about how things have changed--for better or for worse--and how things have stayed the same about these issues. Then write your own short article of 2-3 paragraphs to the current version of Didion's audience addressing these issues. What do you think of these pressures? Are they worth it? Who is at fault, or is there fault? Are things getting worse or better than Didion's day? Consider the things your audience needs, wants, values, and believes as you write to them addressing these questions.

This excerpt is repeated several times. what effect does this repetition have on the epic

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.

Which of the following statements is most accurate? a. effective communication skills are not as important as technical skills. b. good communication skills can you in the classroom, on the job, and in your personal life. c. communicating effectively is not related to job success. d. learning to communicate effectively cannot be taught because communication skills are inborn.