Read this passage from "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: It was tragic, all right, but George and Hazel couldn't think
about it very hard. Hazel had a perfectly average
intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything
except in short bursts. And George, while his intelligence
was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio
in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times. It
was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty
seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp
noise to keep people like George from taking unfair
advantage of their brains.
Which two ideas does the passage most clearly develop?
O A. The benefits of an authoritarian government; the idea that being
"average" is unacceptable
O B. The inability to concentrate on difficult things; the government's
insistence that no one has an advantage over another
O C. The intrusion of government in people's lives; the differing

Which lines in this excerpt from act ii of william shakespeare’s romeo and juliet reveal that mercutio thinks romeo would be better off if he stopped thinking about love? mercutio: i will bite thee by the ear for that jest. romeo: nay, good goose, bite not. mercutio: thy wit is a very bitter sweeting it is a most sharp sauce. romeo: and is it not well served in to a sweet goose? mercutio: o here's a wit of cheveril, that stretches from an inch narrow to an ell broad! romeo: i stretch it out for that word 'broad; ' which added to the goose, proves thee far and wide a broad goose. mercutio: why, is not this better now than groaning for love? now art thou sociable, now art thou romeo; now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature: for this drivelling love is like a great natural, that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole. benvolio: stop there, stop there. mercutio: thou desirest me to stop in my tale against the hair. benvolio: thou wouldst else have made thy tale large. mercutio: o, thou art deceived; i would have made it short: for i was come to the whole depth of my tale; and meant, indeed, to occupy the argument no longer.

Read the excerpts from part 3 of "an occurrence at owl creek bridge." a rising sheet of water curved over him, fell down upon him, blinded him, strangled him! the cannon had taken a hand in the game. as he shook his head free from the commotion of the smitten water he heard the deflected shot humming through the air ahead, and in an instant it was cracking and smashing the branches in the forest beyond. *** a whiz and rattle of grapeshot among the branches high above his head roused him from his dream. the baffled cannoneer had fired him a random farewell. he sprang to his feet, rushed up the sloping bank, and plunged into the forest. *** as he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence! what function does the motif of the cannon serve throughout the story? the cannon continually pushes farquhar to continue his journey through his dream and back to reality. the cannon encourages farquhar to investigate whether his escape was a dream or reality. the cannon reminds farquhar that time is subjective and encourages him to move quickly in order to reach his home. the cannon represents farquhar’s romantic dream that he escaped his execution and will return home.

Read the excerpt from act ii, scene iii of romeo and juliet. romeo: i warrant thee my man’s as true as steel. the simile in the excerpt means that romeo’s man a, has a sharp wit. b. is a loyal servant. c. has a hard personality. d. makes pointed comments.