From “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris

The first day of class was nerve-racking because I knew I’d be expected to perform. That’s the way they do it here – it’s everybody into the language pool, sink or swim. The teacher marched in, deeply tanned from a recent vacation, and proceeded to rattle off a series of administrative announcements. I’ve spent quite a few summers in Normandy, and I took a monthlong French class before leaving New York. I’m not completely in the dark, yet I understood only half of what this woman was saying.

“If you have not meimslsxp or lgpdmurct by this time, then you should not be in this room. Has everyone apzkiubjxow? Everyone? Good, we shall begin.” She spread out her lesson plan and sighed, saying, “All right, then, who knows the alphabet?”

It was startling because (a) I hadn’t been asked that question in a while and (b) I realized, while laughing, that I myself did not know the alphabet. They’re the same letters, but in France they’re pronounced differently. I know the shape of the alphabet but had no idea what it actually sounded like.

“Ahh.” The teacher went to the board and sketched the letter a. “Do we have
anyone in the room whose first name commences with an ahh?”

Two Polish Annas raised their hands, and the teacher instructed them to present themselves by stating their names, nationalities, occupations, and a brief list of things they liked and disliked in this world. The first Anna hailed from an industrial town outside of Warsaw and had front teeth the size of tombstones. She worked as a seamstress, enjoyed quiet times with friends, and hated the mosquito.

“Oh, really,” the teacher said. “How very interesting. I thought that everyone loved the mosquito, but here, in front of all the world, you claim to detest him. How is it that we’ve been blessed with someone as unique and original as you? Tell us, please.”

The seamstress did not understand what was being said but knew that this was an occasion for shame. Her rabbity mouth huffed for breath, and she stared down at her lap as though the appropriate comeback were stitched somewhere alongside the zipper of her slacks.

The second Anna learned from the first and claimed to love sunshine and detest
lies. It sounded like a translation of one of those Playmate of the Month data sheets, the answers always written in the same loopy handwriting: “Turn-ons: Mom’s famous five-alarm chili! Turn offs: insecurity and guys who come on too strong”

The two Polish Annas surely had clear notions of what they loved and hated, but like the rest of us, they were limited in terms of vocabulary, and this made them appear less than sophisticated.

What is the overall tone?
A.
relaxed and honest
B.
complex and ambiguous
C.
pessimistic and fearful
D.
provocative and humorous
E.
combative and angry

Need plz read these paragraphs from the excerpt. every great play teaches many lessons and touches nearly all social problems. but the great play does this by indirection. every beautiful thought is a teacher; every noble line speaks to the brain and heart. beauty, proportion, melody suggest moral beauty, proportion in conduct and melody in life. in a great play the relations of the various characters, their objects, the means adopted for their accomplishment, must suggest, and in a certain sense solve or throw light on many social problems, so that the drama teaches lessons, discusses social problems and gives intellectual pleasure. the stage should not be dogmatic; neither should its object be directly to enforce a moral. the great thing for the drama to do, and the great thing it has done, and is doing, is to cultivate the imagination. this is of the utmost importance. the civilization of man depends upon the development, not only of the intellect, but of the imagination. most crimes of violence are committed by people who are destitute of imagination. people without imagination make most of the cruel and infamous creeds. they were the persecutors and destroyers of their fellow-men. by cultivating the imagination, the stage becomes one of the greatest teachers. it produces the climate in which the better feelings grow; it is the home of the ideal. all beautiful things tend to the civilization of man. the great statues plead for proportion in life, the great symphonies suggest the melody of conduct, and the great plays cultivate the heart and brain. which statement describes how ingersoll uses a literary technique in his response? a- by using symbols, ingersoll explains the role of artistic expression, which engages readers. b- by using a metaphor, ingersoll explains how artistic thoughts address social issues, which clarifies his idea. c- by using allusion, ingersoll emphasizes the continued growth of artistic expression, which is relatable to readers. d- by using alliteration, ingersoll emphasizes the role drama plays in society, which evokes strong emotion.

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

Which lines in this excerpt from act b of shakespeare macbeth tell the audience that macbeth realizes his mistake and regrets his ambition