Read the excerpt from chapter 8 of The Travels of Marco Polo.

They have sheep here that have no ears, nor even ear-holes; but in the place where ears ought to be they have little horns. They are small creatures and very pretty. And here is something else that may strike you as marvelous: their domestic animals—sheep, oxen, camels, and little ponies—are fed on fish. They are reduced to this diet because in all this country and in all the surrounding regions there is no grass; but it is the driest place in the world. The fish on which these animals feed are very small and are caught in March, April, and May in quantities that are truly amazing. They are then dried and stored in the houses and given to the animals as food throughout the year. I can tell you further that the animals also eat them alive, as soon as they are drawn out of the water.

Why does the author include information about the dry climate?

to explain why the sheep have horns but no ears
to explain why the sheep in the region are so small
to explain why people in the region have to feed their animals fish
to explain why there are such large quantities of fish available

Read the selection below and answer the question. an open boat by alfred noyes o, what is that whimpering there in the darkness? 

 'let him lie in my arms. he is breathing, i know.
 look. i'll wrap all my hair round his neck' – the sea's rising,
 the boat must be lightened. he's dead. he must go.' 


 see - quick - by that flash, where the bitter foam tosses, 
 the cloud of white faces, in the black open boat, 
 and the wild pleading woman that clasps her dead lover 
 and wraps her loose hair round his breast and his throat.
 'come, lady, he's dead.' - 'no, i feel his heart beating,
 he's living, i know. but he's numbed with the cold. 
 see, i'm wrapping my hair all around him to warm him.' -
- 'no. we can't keep the dead, dear. come, loosen your hold.

 'come. loosen your fingers.' - 'o god, let me keep him! ' -
 o, hide it, black night! let the winds have their way! 
 and there are no voices or ghosts from that darkness, 
 to fret the bare seas at the breaking of day. which choice best describes the conflict in this poem? the winds are rocking the boat. a man is thrown into the sea. a woman doesn’t want to let go of her dead lover. someone is crying in the darkness.

Part a: what are two main ideas of maria w. stewart’s speech? a god is responsible for the discriminatory treatment of african americans. b any individual who decides to commit to a life of domestic servitude is disgraceful. c african americans and women are products of the unfair treatment they receive in the united states. d slavery has crushed african americans’ will to resist and overcome discriminatory practices. e african american women can merely pray for divine intervention for equal rights, as they are not a priority for social reformers. f african americans should work to advance their status by demanding more opportunities for education and meaningful work.

Choose the letter of the word that most clearly expresses the tone in each passage. if you are unfamiliar with any of the words, look them up before you select the correct answer. we have come together this afternoon to mourn the deaths of sixteen miners—our friends and neighbors—who were trapped by fire yesterday, deep below the earth. they lived bravely and they died too soon, leaving behind grieving wives and bewildered children. we bid them a final farewell. question 1 options: forgiving sorrowful angry amused