Read the excerpt from a short story. I stood against the far wall of the shabby lobby avoiding eye contact with the doorman as my dad checked us in for the night. We’d hoped to make it as far as Scranton, but the weather had interfered, leaving us instead at an eyesore of a truck-stop motel. My ear buds were jammed in as far as comfort would allow in a vain attempt to block out the motel’s vibe. Still, I could not ignore the looming presence of the doorman. He stood in the dim portico, sweeping and re-sweeping a pile of lint on the floor, watching the parking lot with his watery eyes, and occasionally signaling to the whiskered clerk behind the desk.
What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?
The pace of the story quickens.
The word choice darkens the tone.
Odd characters are introduced.
The setting details are intentionally omitted.

What is the theme of "the story of the fisherman”?

Read this excerpt from "edward jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination.” smallpox was introduced to europe sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries and was frequently epidemic during the middle ages. the disease greatly affected the development of western civilization. the first stages of the decline of the roman empire (ad 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic: the plague of antonine, which accounted for the deaths of almost 7 million people. the arab expansion, the crusades, and the discovery of the west indies all contributed to the spread of the disease. unknown in the new world, smallpox was introduced by the spanish and portuguese conquistadors. the disease decimated the local population and was instrumental in the fall of the empires of the aztecs and the incas. similarly, on the eastern coast of north america, the disease was introduced by the early settlers and led to a decline in the native population. before it reached the new world, smallpox played a role in

The following excerpts that illustrate darl's and cash's points of view from william faulkner's as i lay dying: from darl: tull's wagon stands beside the spring, hitched to the rail, the reins wrapped about the seat stanchion. in the wagon bed are two chairs. jewel stops at the spring and takes the gourd from the willow branch and drinks. i pass him and mount the path, beginning to hear cash's saw. when i reach the top he has quit sawing. standing in a litter of chips, he is fitting two of the boards together. between the shadow spaces they are yellow as gold, like soft gold, bearing on their flanks in smooth undulations the marks of the adze blade: a good carpenter, cash is. he holds the two planks on the trestle, fitted along the edges in a quarter of the finished box. he kneels and squints along the edge of them, then he lowers them and takes up the adze. a good carpenter. addie bundren could not want a better one, better box to lie in. it will give her confidence and comfort. i go on to the house, followed by the chuck. chuck. chuck.of the adze.from cash: i made it on the bevel.there is more surface for the nails to grip.there is twice the gripping-surface to each seam.the water will have to seep into it on a slant. water moves easiest up and down or straight across.in a house people are upright two thirds of the time. so the seams and joints are made up-and-down. because the stress is up-and-down.in a bed where people lie down all the time, the joints and seams are made sideways, because the stress is sideways.except.a body is not square like a crosstie.animal magnetism.the animal magnetism of a dead body makes the stress come slanting, so the seams and joints of a coffin are made on a bevel.compare how the two narrators tell the story of addie bundren's impending death. is either narrator reliable? explain what the reader learns about each narrator. be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.