When i arrived home, i called my older sister jasmine. i figured that as a political science major, she was the perfect person to talk to about my situation. because jasmine goes to school in another state, she will be voting by absentee ballot in the upcoming primaries. though a registered democrat, jasmine was a fount of political knowledge. she explained that there were even more political parties than the ones listed on the voter registration form. we talked for a long time about party platforms and the candidates vying for their parties’ nominations. while i appreciated the assistance, i hung up the phone and was still undecided about my party. 1) which of these is an accurate and appropriate summary of this paragraph? a) the speaker talks to her sister who understands politics. b) the speaker talks to her sister about all of her problems. c) the speaker wants her sister to tell her which party is best. d) the speaker is trying to find out who her sister is voting for.

The “big dig” the “big dig” (the central artery/tunnel project) has been complex and challenging. located in boston, massachusetts, this tunnel is eight lanes wide and three-and-a-half miles long. what is most amazing about this tunnel is that it is constructed under a major highway and skyscrapers located in boston’s financial district. construction crews used “clamshell excavators” during this dig. these machines carved narrow trenches, and then a special substance was pumped into the trench to keep the dirt from caving in. finally, steel beams were lowered into the trench and concrete was pumped in. one problem that engineers faced while constructing the tunnel is the fact that the soil beneath boston is extremely loose and soggy. engineers solved this dilemma by freezing the soil and pumping very cold water into pipes beneath the city. to strengthen the soil even further, a special type of glue was injected into the ground to with the consolidation of the soil. 23 which phrase best defines the word excavator as used in the passage? a. a device used to measure underground temperatures b. a device used to level uneven surfaces c. a device used to move heavy objects d. a device used to dig holes