Which set of aliens do you think you would believe the first set, “The Wretched,” or the second set, “The Beautiful?” Explain why?

I would most likely believe the first set of aliens, "The Wretched".

Explanation:

This question is about the story "The Wretched and the Beautiful", by E. Lily Yu, which develops the theme of how refugees are perceived and treated through an impactful metaphor.

Two sets of aliens land on a beach. The first set, the wretched, is comprised of odd looking aliens. Their disgusting appearance and the fact that they have shown up "unannounced" make the humans on the beach attack them out of fear. They finally voice their reasons to be there, explaining they need refuge. Humans are then annoyed to have to deal with someone else's problem, and do very little to help.

The second set of aliens, the beautiful, arrive. Since their appearance is much more pleasant and human-like, humans believe them when they claim that the first aliens are actually criminals. This metaphor is used to show us how biased we can be against those who are different than us.

I would believe the first set of aliens. And I would do it because I know others wouldn't. Our instinctive response to differences is hostility. That is our primitive brain speaking, telling us that that being does not belong to our community, our tribe, and should be seen as an enemy. However, we should evolve beyond that notion. We know much better now. Anyone deserves trust, a chance to be truly seen and understood, a chance to feel safe and taken care of. No matter how different or similar they are when compared to us.

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)

answer: d.she abandons people when they least expect it.

in the monk's tale, we encounter seventeen stories that relate historical events. all of these stories have tragic commonalities. they tell the stories of heroes who, despite their success in life, all met sad ends. the monk blames these sad outcomes on fortune. one of fortune's traits is that she abandons people when they least expect it. this is one of the most common themes of medieval tragedies.