Most of us do not realize the results of our everyday actions. for example, many do not think about how a simple thing like a plastic bag affects our environment. indeed, they are cheaper and easier to carry than paper bags. plastic bags are convenient, and they do save millions of trees. however, most plastic bags are never recycled. in fact, more than 500 million are used and thrown away each year. millions of these bags end up in landfills. most of these may take several hundred years to decompose. recycling would reduce the amount of plastic being piled up in landfills. better yet, skip the paper and plastic bags and bring reuseable bags to the store instead. the passage is organized using the structure of a. cause/effect. b. compare/contrast. c. classification. d. definition.

Micah wrote the following argument: our city should start a garden lottery that would award winners a free plot of land in one of the city’s abandoned lots to encourage community gardening. community gardening brings many benefits to a community, including a sense of belonging and opportunities to meet new people. gardening creates personal bonds between people of all ages. as a result, people feel connected to their neighbors, and crime decreases. which relationship does the phrase “as a result” clarify? a. the relationship between the claim that crime will decrease and the reason that community gardens foster a sense of community togetherness b. the relationship between the claim that community gardens bring many benefits to a community and the reason that people feel more connected to their neighbors c. the relationship between the claim that gardening creates bonds between people and the reason that people feel connected to their neighbors and crime decreases d. the relationship between the claim that free plots of land should be raffled in a lottery for community gardening and the reason that, as a result, neighbors will communicate more, and crime will decrease

Which of the following is an essential element of a strong informative/explanatory text? a. it expresses an opinion on a topic. b. it has a clear organizational structure. c. it uses text features, such as headings. d. it includes graphic elements, such as images.

You will submit a memoir of 500–750 words. your memoir must be about a personal experience that is important because of the reasons you acted, the actions you chose, or the consequences of your actions or choices. before you submit your memoir, make sure you • wrote a memoir that conveys meaning or emotion. • used first-person point of view. • included dialogue. • used descriptive language. • used chronological order. • wrote a conclusion that reflects on what you learned or why these events were important. before submitting your memoir, review the rubric to ensure you have done your best work.