Excerpt from desiree's baby
kate chopin

"it was no wonder, when she stood one day against the stone pillar in whose shadow she had lain asleep, eighteen years before, that armand aubigny riding by and seeing her there, had fallen in love with her. that was the way all the aubignys fell in love, as if struck by a pistol shot. the wonder was that he had not loved her before; for he had known her since his father brought him home from paris, a boy of eight, after his mother died there. the passion that awoke in him that day, when he saw her at the gate, swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles."

which universal theme best fits the passage?
a) love is foolish.
b) love at first sight is most pure.
c) sometimes love is right in front of you.
d) the grass is not always greener on the other side.

hint: was this the first time armand saw her?

the correct answer is "tan believes that nonstandard english can make family communication difficult". raising children across cultures can sometimes be challenging, especially when the values and expectations are from different cultures. this can make it difficult to feel a sense of belonging to any community.

each year on this day, i make it a point to listen to dr. martin luther king jr.’s great “i have a dream” speech. it’s electrifying every single time.

the content of dr. king’s speech, his inspiring presence, and the moment in history all came together to make the iconic “i have a dream” speech the defining moment of the american civil rights movement. but there are several other reasons why this speech, delivered over 50 years ago, remains an example of one of the best speeches in american history.

since part of my job is to people become better presenters, i’ve noticed several techniques that we can all learn from and be inspired by in this magnificent speech.

it’s anchored in a powerful related location

in most cases, you can’t handpick the spot to give a presentation, as mlk did for supreme symbolic effect when he stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial and echoed the opening words of the gettysburg address (“five score years ago . . ). but you absolutely can amplify your message by adapting it to your setting and location.

active voice: my father cut the tree.

passive voice: the tree was cut by my father.

active voice: people buy newspapers every day.

passive voice: newspapers are bought (by people) every day.

active voice: people have been using movies as political propaganda since world war ii.

passive voice: movies have been used as political propaganda since world war ii.

active voice: donna gave me my birthday present.

passive voice: i was given my birthday present (by donna). / my birthday present was given to me (by donna).

active voice: mom will leave the keys on the counter.

passive voice: the keys will be left (by mom) on the counter.

the words in parentheses are the agent of the passive voice and can be omitted when obvious, generic, or simply unnecessary.