Read the excerpt from “birches” by robert frost.

when i see birches bend to left and right
across the line of straighter darker trees,
i like to think some boy’s been swinging them.
but swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay.
ice-storms do that. often you must have seen them
loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
after a rain. they click upon themselves
as the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
as the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells
shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust—
such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
you’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.

what is the best description of the theme of this excerpt?
a. the sun is more powerful than ice and snow.
b. birches are destroyed by both people and nature.
c. the sun has a wondrous effect on icy birch branches.
d. ice storms are nature’s most powerful force.

Which statement would you identify as being correct? a. it is important to learn the etymology of every word in a text. b. it is important to understand the etymology of every word in a text. c. it is important to study the etymology of every word in a text. d. it is important to study the etymology of some words in a text.

Have you ever felt like the person in this image during a speech or presentation? list four or five things this person can do to be a more effective listener.

What is the biggest difference in central ideas and themes? question 1 options: themes are for stories with characters in them. there is only a central idea if it is explicitly (specifically, outright) stated in a story. central ideas are a main idea specific to the text, while themes are an universal lesson or moral. themes are only found in nonfiction, while central ideas are found in fiction. question 2 (1 point) which of the following is not a true statement about theme? question 2 options: mulitple themes can be found within a single text theme is usually inferred. the theme is always clearly stated by the author or a character. themes should be supported by evidence from the text. question 3 (1 point) what is indirect characterization? question 3 options: all details stated and implied that give the reader information about a character. details such as age, height, or hair color that give the reader information about a character. actions or dialogue said by a character that give the reader information about a character. the description an author gives about the character in the exposition. question 4 (1 point) which sentence best describes lizabeth's development in "marigolds"? question 4 options: lizabeth matures when she recognizes that love is more powerful than hate. lizabeth learns that sympathy and understanding come from recognizing the truth about other people. lizabeth changes her behavior after she recognizes that she needs to be a better example for her brother. lizabeth comes to recognize that the world is too barren to create lasting beauty. question 5 (1 point) how does the resolution of lizabeth's conflict in "marigolds" develop the theme? question 5 options: lizabeth recognizes that she has looked only at herself rather than at other people. lizabeth's destruction of miss lotte's flowers brings about justice over miss lotte's ill-treatment of the children. lizabeth's pursuit of adventure leads her to a more fulfilling life away from the shantytown. the camaraderie of lizbeth and joey creates meaning in both their lives. question 6 (1 point) which of the following quotations best exemplifies lizabeth's childish nature at the beginning of the story? question 6 options: "and one other thing i remember, another incongruency of memory - a brilliant splash of sunny yellow against the dust - miss lottie's marigolds." "by the time i was fourteen, my brother joey and i were the only children left at the house." "'hey, lizabeth,' joey yelled. he never talked when he could yell." "then i lost my head entirely, mad with the power of inciting such rage, and ran out of the bushes chanting madly, 'old witch, fell in a ditch, picked up a penny and through she was rich! '" question 7 (1 point) the story "marigolds" is told in a flashback. lizabeth recounts the details of the incident with miss lottie for the reader years after they have happened. how is this important to the development of lizabeth's character? question 7 options: lizabeth is older now and realizes that she may not have made the best decisions. lizabeth feels sorry for herself now and thinks that miss lottie is still angry. there were so many kids and so little to do, their behaviors should have been overlooked. all of these question 8 (1 point) lizabeth's "world had lost its boundary lines," when she overheard her father crying to her mother. what can we assume about the character of the father because of her reaction to this moment? question 8 options: we can assume that her father is a weak man. we can assume that her father shares his fears with his children and wife often. we can assume that her father is a proud and strong man and that his brokenness is a change in his character. we can assume that until this moment, her father has only cried to lizabeth but not to her mother which explains her surprise.