John reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older than i, for i was but ten: large and stout for his age, with a dingy and unwholesome skin… what is happening in this passage?

The description of characters

Explanation:

In this passage, the author is describing the characters that we will meet in the story. He talks about John Reed, and about the speaker, and he tells us the characters' age and physical appearance. In this passage, the author describes the characters in order for the reader to familiarize himself with them and know who the author will talk about in the story.

the word that best matches the meaning of the expression "went to the big ocean" is died.

the goldfish died, which is why the father looks at the children mournfully. the "big ocean" is the father's way of saying fish heaven. he could have just said that the goldfish died, but this way, the children imagine the fish in a bigger, better place instead of just picturing a dead fish.

explanation:

from the political point of view it could be said that the candidate   is an effective speaker because she takes a strong position on the issue. it is an open discussion but probably she is making a presentation and can choose which subjects she wants to address. she is very likely to attain her aim which is to convince voters to accept her proposal.