Thus the great house was built. Familiar as it stands in the writer's recollection,—for it has been an object of curiosity with him from boyhood, both as a specimen of the best and stateliest architecture of a long-past epoch, and as the scene of events more full of human interest, perhaps, than those of a gray feudal castle,—familiar as it stands, in its rusty old age, it is therefore only the more difficult to imagine the bright novelty with which it first caught the sunshine.

Which word most clearly summarizes the description of the house?

A. Amusing

B. Interesting

C. Renovated

D. Forgettable

Which sentence accurately describes elements of historical fiction?

Constructed response paragraph: after reading “the case for short words,” do you think the author makes a convincing case that short words are effective? explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

Returning from vietnam, we were given a parade. crowds of screaming people waving signs — not just on one road, one day. no, they were everywhere. every day. on the streets, on the television, on the radio. a hot, angry tangle of shaking fists and ugly words that threatened us like a monster with a hundred heads. our country had chewed us up and spit us out, and now we were being treated as if it were our fault. which sentence best uses figurative language to match the paragraph's tone? a. our feet were frozen in place as the street itself strained to hold us back. b. i felt unappreciated and condemned for actions i had thought were heroic. c. i hadn't expected to find myself in a rags-to-riches situation such as this. d. we had come home to a feeding frenzy and were being treated as bait.