1.
PART A: Which statement best expresses the theme of the short story?
A Showing someone mercy and granting them forgiveness can be a freeing
experience.
B. Holding onto the anger you have for another person hurts you more than it
hurts them.
C. It's important to make the best of a difficult situation and find value in it.
D. Life isn't always fair and sometimes good people are punished for no reason.

Read the sample student paragraph that addresses a counterclaim. some claim that the internet both invades and compromises one’s right to privacy. however, this is ridiculous. the internet is only as invasive as one allows it to be, particularly since there are laws to protect people’s privacy. exercising caution when supplying personal information online is the most vital step in protecting one’s privacy. any information you do not feel comfortable sharing online should not be shared, and sensitive information should only be provided to trusted organizations. additionally, some states have already enacted privacy laws that model the federal privacy act of 1974, ensuring that information collected for one purpose may not be used—or sold—for other purposes without first notifying the individual to whom the data belongs. the first and most important protector of an individual’s information is that individual. people whose personal information is not properly protected only have themselves to blame. what evidence weakens the counterclaim in this paragraph? the internet is only as invasive as one allows it to be. exercising caution is the best way to protect one’s privacy online. some states have already enacted online privacy laws. it is the individual’s fault when personal information is unprotected.