Saying your house is "neat as a pin," or that running a marathon is "a piece of cake" are examples of
a. negatives.
b. positives.
c. idioms.
d. colloquialisms.

Which statement is true about the theme of a short story? a. the theme is directly stated in the story. b. the theme is the message the author wants to convey. c. the theme is the purpose of the story. d. the theme is the same as the subject of the story.