Livestock, such as sheep, cattle, and goats, are vulnerable to many threats, and predation of valuable livestock costs millions of dollars per year. A guard animal lives with a herd or flock to protect the livestock and deter predators. Shepherds, farmers, and ranchers consider the ideal guard animal to be one that is effective, fearless, cost-effective, and easy to maintain. Surprisingly, guard llamas have proven to fit the bill in most circumstances and can be found guarding animals on farms and ranches across the United States and North America. Llamas are members of the South American Camelidae family and are used as beasts of burden in many areas of the world. They are well-socialized to humans and bond quickly with livestock. Additionally, llamas react aggressively to members of the Canidae family—including dogs, coyotes, jackals, foxes, and wolves. These attributes make llamas ideal guard animals for a variety of livestock, although they are most widely used to guard sheep. Once llamas become attached to their livestock, they actively protect the animals by chasing, kicking, or spitting at predators and moving the flock to a safe location.
In a study conducted by Iowa State University in 1990, llamas were rated as effective guard animals by 80 percent of sheep owners. Many ecologists and wildlife biologists are also pleased with this practice because it provides a non-lethal way to handle predators. Llamas are also a sound investment for shepherds, farmers, and ranchers because they are long-lived (often living up to 20 years), acclimated to a wide variety of climates, and able to graze on the same land as sheep, goats, and cattle. Although they are not 100% successful against predators, guard llamas can be an effective, economic, and ecologically friendly resource to help livestock owners protect their livelihood.

Many ecologists and wildlife biologists are also pleased with this practice because it provides a non-lethal way to handle predators.

The author most likely included this information in the passage to

A.
persuade the reader that all lethal options for disposing of predators should be eliminated.
B.
support the main thesis of the passage by including scientific evidence about guard llamas.
C.
explain that the practice of using guard llamas has benefits that extend beyond economics.
D.
introduce a counterargument to provide a fair and balanced look at the practice of using guard llamas.

Danny went for a long bike ride he covered at least forty miles

Read the excerpt from "annabel lee," by edgar allan poe. and this was the reason that, long ago, in this kingdom by the sea, a wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful annabel lee; so that her highborn kinsmen came and bore her away from me, to shut her up in a sepulchre in this kingdom by the sea. how does the rhythm of the excerpt support the theme of the poem? the rhythm changes on the phrase “a kingdom by the sea,” emphasizing poe’s distrust of a monarchy. the rhythm changes on the phrase “bore her away from me,” emphasizing poe’s desire to be reunited the rhythm changes on the words “chilling” and “sepulchre,” emphasizing poe’s complaint about unexpected death. the rhythm changes on the words “lee” and “me,” emphasizing poe’s fear that his bond with his love is fragile.

Create a well-crafted essay of 1-2 pages outlining a likely theory of king tutankhamun’s death at the age of nineteen. your goal is to convince peers your age that this is the most reasonable theory according to the evidence. incorporate the subjunctive and conditional moods within your writing. use the following rubric to guide your writing. remember to check your spelling (by using a spell checker and also against the original text) to ensure the proper spelling of names and places in king tut’s world. reminder: spell checkers are great, but they’re not always right. think about terms specific to egypt or even tutankhamun’s name. a spell checker won’t know if you’re spelling these correctly, so check with the reading to keep consistent. rubric criterion exceptional capable developing beginning points earned ideas & content main claim supporting details sources are cited clear, focused, interesting ideas with appropriate detail, sources are cited evident main idea with some support which may be general or limited, sources are mentioned main idea may be unclear; supporting detail is vague or off topic, some source information used central idea or theme is not stated; supporting detail may be nonexistent, no sources mentioned organization structure (claim/counterclaim) introduction conclusion strong organization; seamless paragraph transitions; effective and engaging intro and conclusion organization is appropriate but conventional; attempt at introduction and conclusion attempts at organization, inappropriate use of lists or bullets; introduction and conclusion are not developed no introduction or conclusion; no clear organizational framework or transitions voice personality sense of audience appropriate to audience; expressive, engaging, sincere voice is appropriate to topic, but inconsistent or dry voice may be inappropriate; writing may seem mechanical writer’s voice is inappropriate or nonexistent word choice precision effectiveness imagery broad range of descriptive words; creative examples, vivid details and images language is functional and appropriate; descriptions may lack detail or be overdone words may be correct but simplistic; no attempt at detail, description, or examples word choice is limited, words are often misused; supporting detail and examples are nonexistent sentence fluency rhythm, flow variety easy flow and rhythm; good variety in length and structure sentences are appropriate but lack variety and length awkward phrasing and structure, similar patterns and choppy language sentences are incomplete or difficult to follow, language is confusing conventions age appropriate spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar strong use of correct conventions; errors are few and minor most writing conventions correct; occasional high profile errors frequent errors; most do not interfere with readability frequent errors interfere with readability