The air in st. thomas was humid and sticking to my skin. the hot beach made my toes burn as i walked to the edge of the sand. i could hardly believe the beauty of the ocean. i’d never seen water so clear and bright. the shore in new jersey was nice, but the waters of the atlantic always seemed very dark. this water sparkled like a diamond in the sunlight.

which of these choices best adds specific and concrete detail to the vague phrase seemed very dark in the passage?

a) seemed quite hard-to-see

b) seemed black and murky

c) seemed unpleasant

d) seemed very vague

Read the paragraph. theodore roosevelt was the greatest president because as a leader of the progressive party, he brought about much-needed social, political, and economic reform. one of his economic reforms was to break up many large business trusts. by doing so, he took economic power out of the hands of the wealthy and powerful corporations and placed it in the hands of the ordinary people. theodore roosevelt’s reform policies, known as the square deal, to give the average citizen an equal share of opportunities. which sentence is the thesis of this paragraph? theodore roosevelt was the greatest president because as a leader of the progressive party, he brought about much-needed social, political, and economic reforms. one of his economic reforms was to break up many large business trusts. by doing so, he took economic power out of the hands of the people and placed it in the hands of the ordinary people. theodore roosevelt’s reform policies, known as the square deal, to give the average citizen an equal share of opportunities.