No matter what people say, every act of kindness is in fact purely selfish. Even large gifts to charity feel good to the giver. Whatever beneficial effects to others these gifts produce, it is the personal satisfaction that motivates them. However, this does not mean that charity does no good. On the contrary, selfishly motivated giving has done a lot of good in the world.

Which word or phrase from the passage signals a contrasting thought?

a. "No matter"
b. "Whatever"
c. "However"
d. "On the contrary

2read this passage from "the raven." what is puzzling the speaker in this stanza? 60% but the raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, straight i wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door then, upon the velvet sinking, i betook myself to linking fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore- what this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore meant in croaking "nevermore." s and what the raven's message is why the raven came to visit where the raven came from how the raven got into his room

Read the excerpt from "save the redwoods."another, one of the finest in the grove, more than three hundred feet high, was skinned alive to a height of one hundred and sixteen feet from the ground and the bark sent to london to show how fine and big that calaveras tree was—as sensible a scheme as skinning our great men would be to prove their greatness.which  best  describes how the excerpt appeals to readers’ emotions? the excerpt provides facts about the tree, which impresses readers’ scientific minds.the excerpt describes how the tree traveled to london, which excites the readers’ sense of adventure.the excerpt compares the tree to a person, which makes readers feel sympathetic toward the tree.the excerpt explains how to skin a tree, which makes readers feel awed at the height of the tree.

Why does the narrator come to the house of usher