Just last week, i was walking down the street with my mother, and i again found myself conscious of the english i was using, the english i do use with her. we were talking about the price of new and used furniture and i heard myself saying this: “not waste money that way.” my husband was with us as well, and he didn’t notice any switch in my english. and then i realized why. it’s because over the twenty years we’ve been together i’ve often used that same kind of english with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. it has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of english that relates to family talk, the language i grew up with. how does tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt?

By using supporting details, evidence, and personal experience.

Explanation: Central idea, also known as the main idea, is what the entire excerpt is about.  In this case, the central idea is the use of her English around her mother and family.  Tan builds on the central idea by giving supporting details and personal experience, such as talking about conversations with her husband.

i think that the quotes in paragraph 11 contribute to the development of ideas because it provides a good reasoning of the central idea of the text.

the price of our current war is high; it costs money and it costs lives.

but it does not cost our pride. it does not cost the guilt that would arise from knowing that we did nothing to intervene while our neighboring nations fell to despotic leaders.

it does not cost the terror of knowing that our allies are unstable. it does not cost the fear that we, too, will be next to fall.

which sentence most accurately explains why the speaker's use of the parallel structure is effective in this passage?

a. it underscores that disagreement will not be tolerated and will be dealt with swiftly.

b. it makes the speaker seem like a decisive and capable leader.

c. it emphasizes reasons to fight and inspires listeners to aid the war effort.

d. it establishes the speaker's credibility by acknowledging the difficulties of war.