What are the steps in the U.S. presidential election process?
- THE GREAT GATSBY
How can I define and analyze the concept of “dreams” in the novel The Great Gatsby?
When defining and analyzing the concept of dreams in The Great Gatsby, it’s important to consider a character’s perspective. However, whichever character you ultimately choose can lead to deep…
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- ECONOMICS
What is the purpose of the consumer price index?
A Consumer Price Index, or CPI, serves as a measurement of the change in price of goods and services purchased by households, specifically those in urban environments, such as food, transportation,…
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- TUCK EVERLASTING
In Tuck Everlasting, what is unusual about the Tuck family? What clues does the author give?
The Tuck family is different from every other family that Winnie Foster will ever meet, because the Tuck family is a family of immortals. That’s right, they will live forever. Makes me wonder if…
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- 1984
Differentiate between Julia and Katharine on the issue of intimacy in the novel, 1984.
In 1984, we see very differing attitudes to intimacy in the characters of Julia and Katharine, both of whom play an important role in Winston’s life. Katharine is Winston’s wife and she appears in…
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- SCIENCE
What type of nuclear decay results in the atomic number increasing by one with no change in mass?
There are a variety of nuclear decay reactions, including alpha decay, beta decay and gamma decay reactions. In alpha decay, an alpha particle (Helium atom, with a mass number of 4 and atomic…
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- SCIENCE
Put these words in order to show how oxygen gets into your blood: mouth, trachea, alveoli, bronchi.
The trachea is a tube which passes between the mouth and the lungs (this is also sometimes referred to as the windpipe). This is a separate tube entirely from the esophagus. The function of the…
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- SEAMUS HEANEY
How can you analyze the poem “Blackberry Picking” by Seamus Heaney? What are the attitude, theme,…
Like many poems by Heaney, this poem is rich with imagery, and uses that imagery to make evocative observations about the world in which people live. As far as how we can analyze it, start by…
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- HISTORY
General information about Constantine? (Motives or anything significant will do)
Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was expected at a time when success in politics followed alignment with a particular religious faction. However, Constantine’s divine claims were…
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- HOLES
How was the curse lifted in Holes?
The curse was blamed on Stanley’s “no-good-dirty-rotten pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.” It has made it impossible for the Yelnats family to ever truly succeed at anything they try and their…
2 educator answers
- SCIENCE
How will muscle failure affect the muscular system or skeletal system?
All the muscles in the body make up the muscular system. All the bones of the body make up the skeletal system. There are three types of muscle – skeletal, heart and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscles…
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- THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
What does “dissolution” mean as it is used in paragraph 1 of “The Masque of the Red Death?”
The dissolution means that the blood is breaking down. The word “dissolution” means that something is dissolving. The word is used to describe the dissolving of the victims’ blood when the Red…
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- THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET
In “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, what are the four most memorable quotes and…
She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the…
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- NIGHT
What did Elie think of the advice given to him by the head of the block in Night?
Elie is not sure whether to listen to his block captains’ advice. Elie and his father arrive at a new block. After they are forced to take showers and run, they encounter the head of the block,…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What important events change Jem throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird? What textual…
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, one event that changes Jem is the realization that Arthur (Boo) Radley is reaching out to the children in his own special way.The first time Jem realizes…
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- THE BRONZE BOW
In Chapter 3 of The Bronze Bow, why does Simon come to visit Daniel?
In the first chapter of The Bronze Bow, Daniel meets a brother and sister, Joel and Malthace, on the mountain. He asks them to send word to Simon in the village, a mutual acquaintance, letting him…
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- HISTORY
What countries did not come to the Paris Peace conference?
The Paris Peace Conference was held in Versailles, France in January of 1919. The major players at the conference were the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the United States, which was represented…
2 educator answers
- SCIENCE
Scientists have determined the ages of rock samples from other places in the solar system. Why…
Scientists assume that the Earth and other solid planets and moons formed at about the same time as each other. It has been difficult to determine the age of the Earth itself directly because of…
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- INTO THE WILD
How does Krakauer describe Alex’s camp in the novel Into the Wild? About how many people lived…
In Jon Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild, the main character Chris McCandless has nicknamed himself Alex Supertramp. When he arrives in the Alaskan wilderness he finds an abandoned bus. He sets up…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How does Jem develop empathy and tolerance by reading to Mrs. Dubose in Harper Lee’s To Kill a…
In Chapter 11 of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, it was not so much the actual moments Jem had of reading to Mrs. Dubose that taught him lessons of empathy and tolerance but rather the…
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- THE GREAT GATSBY
How is The Great Gatsby related to modern society when it comes to racism?
Near the beginning of the book, Tom Buchanan discusses race. “Civilization’s going to pieces,” broke out Tom violently. “I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read ‘The…
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- THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
Which pair of words best describes Prince Prospero in Poe’s short story “Masque of the Red Death?”
If you are asking for two words that effectively describe Prince Prospero, the monarch who is the protagonist of this story, then it might be hard to narrow it down to only two. But if I were to…
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- THE TELL-TALE HEART
Why does the narrator have a “light heart” in “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
The narrator claims he has a light heart when he answers the door to let in the police. At this point in the story, he has escaped the horror he perceives in the vulture eye of the old man. Even…
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- THE OPEN WINDOW
Describe the character of Vera in “The Open Window” by Saki.
All the characters in “The Open Window,” like most characters in short stories and novels, were created by the author in order to suit the needs of his plot. They are not real people, so it is a…
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- HISTORY
How did the French and Indian War change relations between the colonies and Britain?
The French and Indian War changed the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain in many ways. One was that the territories gained by the British as a result of the war led to almost…
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- THE DUCHESS AND THE JEWELLER
Why do you think the Jeweller is dissatisfied with his life?
In the short story “The Duchess and the Jeweller” by Virginia Woolf, the Jeweller is a dissatisfied with a life that includes the finest material things, servants, and a burgeoning jewelry…
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- THE SCARLET IBIS
What is textual evidence for the brother in “The Scarlet Ibis”?
Brother is a somewhat selfish but also mostly empathetic adolescent. The narrator in this story never tells us his name. This is a way of distancing himself from the guilt that he feels as he…
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- FRANKENSTEIN
Explain how the theme of failed father figures shapes the story of Frankenstein. Why might this…
It could be argued that Victor Frankenstein is the “father” of the monster, since Victor crafts the monster out of scavenged body parts and uses his study of the occult to bring his creation to…
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- SCIENCE
Can someone explain molecular formulas to me?
A molecular formula indicates, with subscripts, the number of atoms of each element in one molecule of a compound. In comparison, the empirical formula gives the simplest whole number ratio of…
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
How does Romeo and Juliet’s love at first sight in Shakespeare’s play relate to today’s young…
Love at first sight is not limited to Romeo and Juliet. Teenagers and young adults today are certainly susceptible to it as well. There is a difference between falling in love with the idea of a…
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- A CHRISTMAS CAROL
In “A Christmas Carol,” Marley’s chains are an important symbol in the story. What are they made…
In the first stave (or chapter) of A Christmas Carol, we meet Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner, who is encased in heavy chains. These chains are made of steel and are weighed down with…
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
What are some of Romeo’s speeches about Juliet that he recites before his death?
At the top of Act V, Romeo enters the stage and professes his love for Juliet: I dreamt my lady came and found me dead / (Strange dream that gives a dead man leave to think!) / And breath’d such…
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- ESSAY LAB
How can I personify a tennis ball? (I know how and what personification is but I need help using…
Some familiarity with the game of tennis should assist you in imagining the interaction of a tennis ball with the player who handles it and the racquet. Just use your imagination. For example, you…
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- MACBETH
How does Macbeth come to be Thane of Cawdor in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
The Thane of Cawdor is a traitor and Macbeth is promoted to his title. Macbeth distinguishes himself in battle, and then hears the prophecies of the three witches. One of these is that he will be…
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- THE DIVINE COMEDY
This is a tough question, because there are admittedly many themes at work in Dante’s Divine Comedy. However, if you had to pinpoint a main theme, the most accurate answer would be that the main…
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- BUSINESS
How does a business overcome the limitations of budget control?
The essence of budget control is to impose limitations on a business entity to ensure a company remains viable in its market space. Budget controls are put in place so a company does not operate at…
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- ENDER’S GAME
What is the symbolism of the playground (“the slide would not hold him”)? in Ender’s Game Ch. 7…
Ender and the other students in battle school are only children. At the very start of the chapter Graff and another commander discuss how the training is impacting the children. Ender’s inability…
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- WALDEN
Is Thoreau a snob? If so, is his democratic populism undermined by his disdain for popular culture?
Over the course of my English major in college and my month long course studying Thoreau and Emerson while living within a quarter mile of Walden Pond, I have called Thoreau many, many names. Not…
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- LYDDIE
What happened in chapter 15 of the book Lyddie?
Chapter 15 is a depressing chapter to read. There’s practically nothing happy that happens. Even things that first appear good on the surface wind up being a blow to Lyddie. The chapter begins…
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- LORD OF THE FLIES
Other than Ralph, who are two other characters that lose their innocence in the novel Lord of the…
Aside from Ralph, the characters of Maurice and Roger also lose their innocence throughout the novel Lord of the Flies. At the beginning of the novel Maurice is portrayed as a funny, helpful boy….
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- JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE
What is the significance of the title Joe Turner’s Come and Gone?
Quite simply, the significance of the title is in the title of a blues song with the same name: “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” Even though Joe Turner is not a character in this play, he is…
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- MACBETH
What is a good and clear thesis statement on the mood of evil in Macbeth?
Macbeth is about struggle between good and evil in an individual. The power of evil is so destructive, and if evil is allowed to override one’s conscience, one has to grapple with devastating…
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- THE CRISIS
What is Thomas Paine’s overall message to the troops in the field in The Crisis?
The Crisis was a series of essays by Paine intended to, in short, rally the Continental troops who had suffered a series of defeats at the hands of the British. The army seemed likely to…
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- HISTORY
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
It is important to remember that the primary duty of a military pilot is to remain in control of the aircraft to the realization of his or her mission. While we generally think of the return flight…
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- SCIENCE
How do you think the physical properties of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen change when they combine…
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are the elements that make up sugars including sucrose, white table sugar. Carbon is a solid at room temperature and is found in three different forms: Coal, graphite…
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- THE GIVER
From Lois Lowry’s The Giver, how important is Sameness in Jonas’s community compared to ours today?
Sameness is the idea that if everyone is the same, then no one will feel left out or different, and everyone will be happy. Not only that, but it includes many significant sacrifices on the part of…
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- HISTORY
A series of events and conditions existed in the Old World at the dawn of the fifteenth century…
The Age of Exploration refers to the time period between about 1400 and 1650 when Europeans explored and colonized the world outside of Europe. New technology– taken from the Arabs during the…
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- THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
How does Montresor manipulate Fortunato in “The Cask of Amontillado”?
In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor uses Fortunato’s own pride against him. Montresor knows that Fortunato prides himself on being knowledgeable about wine, so he comes up with the right kind of…
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- LANGSTON HUGHES
Compare and contrast “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes with his other poems “Dreams,” “Dream…
Langston Hughes is the greatest poet of the Harlem Renaissance. His poems, especially “Dreams” and “Harlem,” are often anthologized in high school literature textbooks. At the time Hughes was…
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- THINGS FALL APART
How does the district commissioner coax the Igbo leaders to meet with him?
There had been a history of the District Commissioner asking the men of the tribe to meet with him so there was not any great concern at first. He sent his “sweet-tongued messenger” to them in…
2 educator answers
- LAW AND POLITICS
What are the steps in the U.S. presidential election process?
There are different ways to set out the steps in this process. This is because some teachers may say a particular thing is a step in the process while other teachers will not. For example, is…
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