HiNights and Dragons—
From the memoir of author Abigail Prynne

I could have given up, but I thought about my grandmother. She always told me that "people who believe that science is the answer to everything are missing out on everything else." With her words in mind, I searched some more. There were many facts that hinted that dragons may not be fictional. I noticed that cultures across the world all described dragons in similar ways. This was odd because they had no way to communicate with each other. I found dragons mentioned in more than just stories. They appeared in old legal papers, in the travel logs of Marco Polo, and in the Bible. I saw that the Chinese calendar uses a different animal each year. Dragons are included along with eleven real animals. I began to believe it was a real possibility that all of these people were talking about a creature that actually existed.

Writing in a complete sentence, what is the main idea of the passage?

17. read the email below and identify four areas of improvement your supervisor has written about having with the staff. next, create one recommendation for each area of improvement. (hint: refer to your textbook for recommendation ideas.) areas of improvement recommendations a. type answer here e. type answer here b. type answer here f. type answer here c. type answer here g. type answer here d. type answer here h. type answer here

Voluntourism: an opportunity too good to be true a speech to the student body of evergreen high [1] picture this: it's spring break, and you fly off to some country where there's lush rainforests and beautiful, blue coastlines to explore. there's also people in need, so you decide to blend your vacation with volunteering. volunteering as a tourist, or voluntourism, seems like a great way to explore new regions and people at the same time. however, this "volunteer plus travel" experience can actually harm local communities. while many teens might view traveling and volunteering abroad as a worthwhile adventure, there are more genuine and effective ways to make a difference. [2] most would agree that volunteering in general is a worthy use of time. however, what if you found out the children you are "" are actually being kept in poor conditions so voluntourists will spend money to come to the local area? dale rolfe, a supporter of ethical voluntourism, explains the shocking reality that "animal sanctuaries and orphanages are often manufactured for the voluntourist…encouraging a cycle of exploiting the very animals and children the volunteers are trying to ." [3] proponents of the "volunteer plus travel" experience also argue that traveling to new places builds character and is a valuable way to learn about different cultures. with voluntourism, however, participants often pursue experiences that are all about them. for example, they sign up to build a school for a gold star on their resume, but they have no real building skills and take jobs away from local construction workers (schulten). or, they arrive to teach english but instead take selfies with the locals. one world traveler and ethical voluntourist believes voluntourism "can perpetuate small minded views of the world by taking insulated, fake, and structured experiences and selling them as unabridged and eye opening" (carlos). the voluntour experience is a mirage. the voluntourist's eyes are not opened to real life at the destination, and lasting change is not achieved. [4] if you want a genuine experience where you can see a lasting impact, there are better options than voluntourism. you can volunteer in your local community. give an hour every week to your town's animal rescue. serve monthly dinners to the homeless. be a reliable, positive influence on a child who needs a mentor. studies show that volunteering and forming lasting relationships with those you has a positive impact on your physical and emotional health. in fact, blood pressure is reduced, memory is improved, and rates of depression are reduced (michaels). [5] there is another reason to look into alternatives to voluntourism. did you know the average "voluntour" travel package costs $3,400 (rolfe)? could that travel money be better spent? if the world's citizens are your passion, it could go to an international organization. if you care about education, your funds can be used to buy books for students in faraway lands. if you want villagers to have clean water, contribute funds to local efforts to dig wells. if you want to experience a different culture, travel to the country as a guest, and learn from the locals how you can best them after you've returned home. but do not voluntour. [6] in reality, there are better ways to make a difference. voluntourism might appear to be an adventure that blends travel and others, but it does little except provide a costly, superficial experience that might actually do more harm than good. so, volunteer where you are most needed-at home, where you can stay to see the job through and form genuine, lasting relationships. choose a beautiful coastline closer to home and send the travel money you saved to an international organization that will put it to good use. whatever you do, don't turn someone else's hardship into your vacation. which paragraphs address the counterclaim of the argument? paragraphs 1 and 6 paragraphs 2 and 3 paragraphs 3 and 4 paragraphs 4 and 5

Read the excerpt from the odyssey; 'o cyclops! would you feast on my companions? puny am i, in a caveman's hands? how do you like the beating that we gave you, you d(arn)ed cannibal? eater of guests under your roof! zeus and the gods have paid you! ' according to this excerpt, odysseus (a)is fearful of the cyclops. (b)is prideful and overly confident. (c)has been weakened by the cyclops. (d)has regrets about staying on the island.