Read the passage from “To Build a Fire,” Part 2.

He started to untie his moccasins. They were coated with ice; the thick German socks were like sheaths of iron half-way to the knees; and the moccasin strings were like rods of steel all twisted and knotted as by some conflagration.

What is the meaning of the similes like sheaths of iron and like rods of steel in this passage?

To Build a Fire, Part 2

A. They show how weak the man’s hands have become.
B. They illustrate how the man is not concerned about the elements battling against him.
C. They illustrate how stiffly the man’s clothing has frozen.
D. They make it seem colder than it really is.

Read the excerpt from "mother tongue." lately, i’ve been giving more thought to the kind of english my mother speaks. like others, i have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” english. but i wince when i say that. it has always bothered me that i can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. what best supports the inference that tan believes nonstandard english is no less valid than standard english? tan spends a lot of time thinking about her mother’s “fractured” english. tan has trouble thinking of descriptive words when she is writing. tan’s american education makes it difficult for her to understand her mother. tan winces when she describes her mother’s english as “broken.”