Stanley was not a bad kid. He was innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. He’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was all because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-g reat-great-grandfather!

He smiled. It was a family joke. Whenever anything went wrong, they always blamed Stanley’s no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-g reat-great-grandfather.

—Holes,
Louis Sachar

Read this passage.

Even though Stanley had been wrongly accused of a crime, "he smiled." What does this tell you about Stanley's character?

Read the excerpt from heart of a samurai. the water was so clear, he could see straight to the bottom. a snail was making a path like a shiny ribbon slowly unfurling on the sand. what does the author use the most precise words to describe in the excerpt? the water’s movement the water the snail the snail’s path

Is the slightly humorous tone of kristof's essay inappropriate for a discussion of deliberately killing wild animals? why or why not?

Which two elements does this excerpt from a christmas carol by charles dickens contain? "a small matter," said the ghost, “to make these silly folks so full of gratitude." "small! " echoed scrooge. the spirit signed to him to listen to the two apprentices, who were pouring out their hearts in praise of fezziwig: and when he had done so, said, "why! is it not? he has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four perhaps. is that so much that he deserves this praise? " "it isn’t that," said scrooge, heated by the remark, and speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter, self. "it isn't that, spirit. he has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up: what then? the happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune." he felt the spirit's glance, and stopped. "what is the matter? " asked the ghost. "nothing particular," said scrooge. "something, i think? " the ghost insisted. "no," said scrooge, "no. i should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now. that's all."