Which statement best explains the effect of the word "firmly"
in this excerpt?
It directs the reader's attention back to the squat pen.
It suggests that the spade is too heavy for the father.
It emphasizes the speaker's distaste for hard work.
It shows that the father works with skill and control.

The proposed downtown mall development will cause severe economic harm to our city. i, like everyone else here, am concerned about the troubled economy, and we all know the importance of job creation — especially here - but these concerns shouldn't push us to blindly support supposed "job creators" without first looking at the data. the truth is that when jobs are created in one place, they're usually destroyed somewhere else. studies have shown that for every job created by a mall, at least one job in a local business is lost. as the former owner of two long-standing small businesses in our community, i know all too well the power of these big commercial chains. my fellow citizens, we have watched this evil evolve for decades, and it's time to take a stand. these new chain stores may be able to offer lower prices on some goods, but they also take money out of our community to pay distant executives and shareholders. if we oppose what is the author's point of view?

Ahistorian who compares the expansion of political systems to the expansion of economic systems is organizing history by o a. region b. culture c. period d. theme

Select the correct answer. after months of heavy rains, a farmer noticed a steady drop in crop production. upon testing the farmland, it was found the soil was severely lacking nutrients. which of the following explains the loss of nutrients from the soil? a. drought b. drainage basin c. leaching d. water shedding