If you're not sure which synonym to use, what's a good way to make your choice? A. Read the sample sentences in the dictionary or thesaurus to see how each word is used.
B. Pick the one that comes up first in your word processor's list of suggestions.
C. Pick the one that sounds the smartest.
D. You can choose at random; all synonyms are interchangeable.

Read the excerpt from the poem "growing up italian" by maria mazziotti gillan and answer the question that follows. when i was a little girl, i thought everyone was italian, and that was good. we visted our aunts and uncles, and they visted us. the italian language smooth and sweet in my mouth. in kindergarten, english words fell on me, thick and sharp as hail. i grew silent, the italian word balanced on the edge of my tongue and the english word, lost during the first moment of every question. source: gillan, maria mazziotti. "growing up italian." poetrymagazine.com. poetry magazine, n.d. web. 30 mar. 2011. what is the tone of this poem? what does the tone reveal about the speaker of the poem and the conflict she faces? based on this excerpt, what can you predict about the theme of the poem?