Read the excerpt from "the fall of the house of usher." as if in the superhuman energy of his utterance there had been found the potency of a spell—the huge antique panels to which the speaker pointed, threw slowly back, upon the instant, their ponderous and ebony jaws. it was the work of the rushing gust—but then without those doors there did stand the lofty and enshrouded figure of the lady madeline of usher. how does poe develop a short story element in the excerpt?
by characterizing usher as a man of remarkable strength
by presenting the setting as an ornate, old-fashioned home
by depicting a strong wind to support the theme of nature’s storms
by revealing a conflict in which usher’s fears are realized

Skill check questions rearrange the paragraphs below into the correct sequence. that's because engineers on the ultraclean project have invented a self-cleaning, antibacterial metal surface that repels water with an intricate layer of laser-engraved valleys. when it rains, the lotus does not become damp; the water simply trickles off in fat droplets, taking any bugs and dirt with it. the drudgery may not be around much longer, however, if a team of italian scientists has anything to do with it “it's simply an amazing plant,” concluded professor luca romoli, leader of the project, “and we've succeeded in mimicking it. magnifico! ” few tasks in life hold less joy than scrubbing the ghost of somebody else’s porridge from a saucepan. the starting point for the research was the leaves of the lotus flower.

Which is not a controlling idea in the essay? a) average joggers b) importance of tradition eliminate c) olympic-level competitors d) fräbel-designed crystal peach

Which pair of words has similar denotation but different connotations?