Which sentence has a compound subject?
a. a laser printer can receive a fax transmission, and a computer printer can receive one, too
b. telephones, fax machines, and electronic mail transmit messages at many businesses
c. without inventions like telephone lines and satellite transmissions, communication would be much more challenging
d. a fax machine has a sensor that reads the paper you are sending

Read the following excerpt from life on the mississippi by mark twain. no girl could withstand his charms. he "cut out" every boy in the village. when his boat blew up at last, it diffused a tranquil contentment among us such as we had not known for months. but when he came home the next week, alive, renowned, and appeared in church all battered up and bandaged, a shining hero, stared at and wondered over by everybody, it seemed to us that the partiality of providence for an undeserving reptile had reached a point where it was open to criticism. how does twain's use of understatement serve his purpose? be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.