Stacey was lugging her oversized suitcase to the car when she saw her parents putting bicycles on the bike rack. Her dad noticed her eyeing them suspiciously.

“There are some great bike trails near Aunt Lucy’s house,” Dad explained, “so do me a favor and get our helmets from the basement.”

Stacey turned around and trudged back inside, muttering, “I thought this was going to be a relaxing visit, not an athletic challenge!”

“We just want to take a few bike rides, so it’s not like we’re climbing mountains!” Zack called from his room.

Stacey didn’t bother to reply. Zack didn’t get it, and her parents didn’t really either. The three of them were natural athletes who loved pushing themselves to the limit, and they couldn’t understand why Stacey despised activities that involved working herself into a dripping sweat or waking up with aching muscles. As she carried the helmets to the car, Stacey felt like the family misfit.

But the long ride to Aunt Lucy’s house was entertaining enough to brighten her mood. Mom found a golden oldies station on the radio, and the old songs reminded her mom and dad of things they had done as kids. To pass the time, they amused Stacey and Zack with their stories.

After a while, it dawned on Stacey that many of Dad’s stories were about squabbles he had with Aunt Lucy, so she finally decided to ask him more about their relationship.

“Well,” Dad said thoughtfully, “Lucy and I weren’t cut from the same cloth. I loved practically every sport, and Lucy didn’t have an athletic bone in her body. She wasn’t a klutz or anything; she just didn’t care about sports.”

“So she was like me!” Stacey exclaimed. She had always wondered why she and her aunt seemed to be on the same wavelength.

Dad nodded and replied, “You’ve always reminded me of Lucy.”

When the family got to Aunt Lucy’s, the table was already set for dinner. She had figured they would all be hungry after their long trip. As everyone sat down, Aunt Lucy carried a steaming macaroni casserole to the table. One whiff was enough to cause everybody’s stomachs to rumble.

“It looks fabulous, Lucy,” Mom said appreciatively.

“And pasta is packed with long-burning carbohydrates,” Zack added, “so it’s the perfect way to fuel up for our bike ride tomorrow.” Stacey rolled her eyes and looked over at Aunt Lucy, who was giving her a sympathetic smile.

The next morning, Dad and Mom prepared breakfast while Zack eagerly filled their water bottles to the brim. Aunt Lucy was sitting in her living room contently reading a magazine when Stacey walked in and noticed the upright piano. It was made of old brown wood and was lined with a row of family photos along the top. The way the morning light shone off the keys made it appear as though the piano was beckoning Stacey to come play.

“You’re welcome to play,” Aunt Lucy suggested.

“I really don’t know how,” Stacey pointed out.

“You can give it a try anyway,” her aunt replied encouragingly. “You won’t bother me.”

Stacey sat down on the plush seat cushion and cautiously positioned her hands on the keys. A song she’d heard the day before was running through her head, and she began to plunk it out one note at a time. She hit some clunkers at first, but after a few attempts, Stacey was playing a recognizable tune.

“You’ve got an excellent ear for music,” Aunt Lucy commented. “That’s a tricky melody, and you figured it out quickly.”

“It sounds so plain just one note at a time,” Stacey observed.

Aunt Lucy glided over to the piano and sat beside her on the bench. “Play it again, and I’ll add some chords to fill out the tune.”

Aunt Lucy played along, and the music they made together gave Stacey a powerful, unfamiliar feeling. It was a delicious mixture of wonder and pride, and she liked it.

“That’s a tricky melody, and you figured it out quickly.”

“Do you think you could give me some piano lessons during our visit?” Stacey pleaded.

“I’d be delighted,” Aunt Lucy answered with a smile, “and we can start today after your bike ride.”

Stacey rushed into the kitchen with a new spring in her step. “Let’s hurry up and eat so we can take that bike ride!”

Mom, Dad, and Zack could only exchange puzzled glances and marvel at what had come over Stacey.



How does the narrator of "Duet" develop a perspective about Stacey?

by describing how she has an ear for music and develops into a fine piano player, by describing how she interacts with her different family members, by describing what she thinks about her family and their bike outings, or by describing how she acts during the trip to Aunt Lucy's house?

stacey acted as a excitment of burst and how she enjoy her dads and moms car ride to aunt lucys house

Read "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. Then, respond to the question that follows.

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

In a well-written paragraph of 5–7 sentences, explain the meaning of the crystal stair as a symbol as it relates to the poem. Your response should cite textual evidence from the poem that supports your explanation of the symbolism.

GIVING BRAINLIEST + 100 POINTS

Which of the following sentences is written in subjunctive mood?

A: Turn the lights off when you leave the room.
B: I wish you'd turn the lights off when you leave the room.
C: If you're leaving the room, then turn the lights off.
D: Will you turn the lights off when you leave the room?

Science Mysteries: How Many Species Are There?

You might think that after 200 years, the scientists who find, name, and describe Earth's species would be close to finished. But taxonomists, as organized as they may be, have no idea how many species Earth has. Nor can they even provide an educated guess. Although reporting over 16,000 new species every year, taxonomists still cannot predict how many more are undiscovered.

In total, taxonomists have categorized and listed 1.2 million species on Earth. At this point, you would think scientists should be able to use the information they have gathered to make good predictions about how many species an ecosystem can support. This would help them make better predictions about how many species are left to identify. So far, however, the guesses seem to vary so greatly that it seems there is no good theory for making a prediction.

One of the main problems is that most of the places that seem to have a lot of diverse species are in places that are hard to get to. One such place is the ocean, where scientists believe some 80 percent of Earth's creatures are hiding at depths too deep for us to study. In addition, many of the planet's most diverse areas are in remote places with few taxonomists.

Despite all the unknowns, scientists have agreed that there are between five and 15 million species left to discover on Earth. This is a huge range, but whether it's five or 15, taxonomists clearly still have a lot of work to do. And who knows, there may yet be a dragon or a Loch Ness monster left to discover.

Which of the following best paraphrases the paragraph in bold?

It's hard to figure out how many species there are on the planet.
Scientists are having a hard time figuring out how many species there are on Earth even though they know about 1.2 million of them.
Scientists have labeled over one million species on this planet. They could use this information to make predictions about how many other species there are, but they can't agree on a theory.
There are a lot of ways scientists can figure out how many species there are.

GIVING BRAINLIEST + 100 POINTS

Which of the following sentences is written in interrogative mood?

A: Drink some hot tea before you take the stage to sing.
B: If I were you, I'd drink some hot tea before you take the stage.
C: If you want to avoid a sore throat, then drink some tea before you sing.
D: Will you drink some hot tea before taking the stage to sing?

In “Marian Anderson Sings”, which of the following was NOT a response of Anderson's fans to her being turned away from Constitution Hall?


A. Most DAR members resigned


B. Other musicians canceled performances at the hall.


C. Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR.


D. The mayor of New York City sent a telegram of protest.

How does President Bush characterize the larger or more symbolic significance of the 9/11 attacks in his speech? Explain.

What happened to Morrie’s father? How did Morrie’s father influence Morrie’s life, and how he wants to die?

Match each suffix word with its definition.

Match Term Definition
-ish A) Like; similar
-less B) State of; condition of
-ness C) Without

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings.


Generally, the ideas will come as two separate words placed side by side. The most common type of oxymoron is an adjective followed by a noun.(I will mark branlyest)

Make 2 oxymorons (examples of oxymorons are “bittersweet, original copy, same difference, old news

Read the following villanelle, "The House on the Hill" by Edwin Arlington Robinson. Then, answer the question that follows.

They are all gone away,
The House is shut and still,
There is nothing more to say.

Through broken walls and gray
The winds blow bleak and shrill:
They are all gone away.

Nor is there one to-day
To speak them good or ill:
There is nothing more to say.

Why is it then we stray
Around the sunken sill?
They are all gone away,

And our poor fancy-play
For them is wasted skill:
There is nothing more to say.

There is ruin and decay
In the House on the Hill:
They are all gone away,
There is nothing more to say.

Which of the following is the best paraphrase of the bolded lines?

The walls are coming down because of bad weather.
The wind was so strong that it blew the house down.
The wind blows through cracks in the walls and nobody is there.
The windy gray weather is not good for people to enjoy.

Jails and prisons are designed to break human beings, to convert the population into specimens in a zoo - obedient to our keepers, but dangerous to each other.
-Angela Davis

-How does the quote make me feel?
-Do I agree with the quote?
-If so why?
-If not why?
-Do any of my experiences or prior knowledge relate to the quote?
-What is the theme of the quote?
-Who would I share this quote with?

The company wanted to give _______ employees a bonus, but couldn't decide what to give them.
What pronoun goes in the blank?
A. Their
B. They're
C. its
D. it's

25 points and Brainliest to answer!!
Can you start a sentence with 'and'? I need an explanation and example

What do you think about Morrie’s decision when it comes to his epitaph? (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning)

In "The Lemon Tree Billiards House", Why does Mitch give Locust advice about breaking the curse even though he is uncomfortable?

HELP ASAPP!!

It is my bees, however, which afford me the most pleasing and extensive themes; let me look at them when I will, their government, their industry, their quarrels, their passions, always present me with something new; for which reason, when weary with labour, my common place of rest is under my locust-tree, close by my bee-house. By their movements I can predict the weather, and can tell the day of their swarming …

Paraphrase this excerpt.

Read the excerpt from the primary source, "A Letter Written by Sarah Stockert."

When my chance at stardom arrived, I answered the call immediately and wholeheartedly. As they say, the show must go on! My acting instinct rose to the occasion. I knew my lines, and no one would have known I had the slightest hint of stage fright.

Striding onto the stage and taking my mark, my persona changed. The nerves vanished. Where to? I don't have a clue. In their place, perseverance and a little bit of confidence. The overhead lights were hot, blinding, and made it impossible to decipher faces. To be honest, I was a little annoyed that the producer hadn't noticed and turned them down.

Read the excerpt from the secondary source, "The Show Must Go On."

The producer called a quick intermission. Audience members were left bored and clueless waiting for the show to resume. The stage curtains were drawn, and behind the scenes, a search began. It seems that nerves had gotten the best of our star. Rumors were confirmed that Stockert had suffered a case of stage fright. She was found pacing in her dressing room. Nervous and too stunned to perform, she stalled the entire performance for a period of 20 minutes.

The show did go on, and when the performance resumed, Stockert was already in position. Her onstage entrance had been removed. The glare of the bright lights ensured that our lead did not make eye contact with the audience. The strategies to remedy her stage fright worked.

What is the major difference between the retelling of Sarah Stockert's performance in the primary and secondary sources?

In the primary text, Sarah is not nervous.
In the primary text, Sarah never makes it to the stage.
In the secondary text, the audience is frustrated by Sarah's delay.
In the secondary text, the audience is unaware of Sarah's nerves.



What is the same about the retelling of Sarah Stockert's first night on Broadway in the texts "A Letter Written by Sarah Stockert" and "The Show Must Go On."

In both texts, the audience was frustrated.
In both texts, the audience was unaware of any problems.
In both texts, Sarah Stockert impressed the crowd.
In both texts, Sarah Stockert was nervous to perform

Yall I got to write an article about a problem to the person that can fix the problem, i don't have any ideas could yall give me a few?

how are the changes significant in Daniels story in chapter 5

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON THE SCHOOL BAG

Which common literary theme or conflict apprears in this passage?
A) man vs. the gods
B) man vs. society
C) man vs. self
D) man vs. nature

What is the central idea of the book "Out of My Mind"?

correct the three capitalization errors

HELP ASAP!!!!!!!!!!
In the third sentence of paragraph five of The Loner, find the phrase that the author used to help you feel the boy's loneliness or his exhaustion. Type the phrase into the box below. Note: The phrase must be 8 words long. Remember that a phrase is not a complete sentence and should not include any capitalization or punctuation.

Someone pls help, I need this really soon. The story is an excerpt from “the eyes have it” just in case you need it and if you can find it on the internet, I’ll post it.

What were the Ventures and the Playboys? What evidence in the text supports your answer?

Write a compare and contrast analysis of how "Broken Chain" and "Fish Cheeks" both address a common theme about belonging. (It needs to be an entire analysis)

GIVING BRAINLIEST + 100 POINTS

Which of the following sentences is written in imperative mood?

A: Eat every last vegetable before you ask for dessert.
B: If you want dessert, then you have to eat your vegetables.
C: I wish you'd eat your vegetables so you could have dessert.
D: She eats vegetables so that she can have dessert.

O. Henry's short story "The Ransom of Red Chief" tells the tale of two kidnappers who seize a child who brings them nothing but trouble and leaves them second-guessing their kidnapping plan. Read the excerpt from the short story. Then, respond to the question that follows.

After breakfast the kid takes a piece of leather with strings wrapped around it out of his pocket and goes outside the cave unwinding it.

"What's he up to now?" says Bill, anxiously. "You don't think he'll run away, do you, Sam?"

"No fear of it," says I. "He don't seem to be much of a home body. But we've got to fix up some plan about the ransom. There don't seem to be much excitement around Summit on account of his disappearance; but maybe they haven't realized yet that he's gone. His folks may think he's spending the night with Aunt Jane or one of the neighbours. Anyhow, he'll be missed to-day. To-night we must get a message to his father demanding the two thousand dollars for his return."

Just then we heard a kind of war-whoop, such as David might have emitted when he knocked out the champion Goliath. It was a sling that Red Chief had pulled out of his pocket, and he was whirling it around his head.

I dodged, and heard a heavy thud and a kind of a sigh from Bill, like a horse gives out when you take his saddle off. A rock the size of an egg had caught Bill just behind his left ear. He loosened himself all over and fell in the fire across the frying pan of hot water for washing the dishes. I dragged him out and poured cold water on his head for half an hour.

David and Goliath is a biblical allusion. David was a human warrior who went against the much larger Goliath armed only with a slingshot and some stones. David was victorious. In a short response of 2–3 sentences, explain why the author used this allusion and how it affects the connotation and meaning of this section of text.

What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told someone? And why?
(Do 5 sentences please!)