Which words are the first and last words of the gerund phrase in this sentence?

we will begin by practicing wire-frame animation.

a.
will practicing

b.
practicing animation

c.
practicing wire-frame

d.
by practicing

What is the meaning of each underlined word in these excerpts from "a modest proposal" by jonathan swift? i think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the publick, as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation. some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed; and i have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance. the word prodigious means . the word desponding means .

The arctic national wildlife refuge is home to caribou, moose, musk oxen, wolves, foxes, grizzlies, polar bears and migratory birds. leaders in the oil industry believe the refuge is the perfect site for the “environmentally sensitive exploration” of oil. environmentalists are wondering: what will become of the wildlife? president george w. bush, oil-industry leaders and others believe that americans will benefit from the oil that lies under the snow-filled surface of the refuge. in their opinion, the oil will reduce high fuel prices and decrease our need for oil from other countries. i believe the cost of such drilling is too high. i agree with environmentalists who fear that drilling will disturb the migration of more than 130,000 caribou. each spring, the caribou travel 400 miles to give birth on the coastal plain. in this area of the refuge, there are fewer predators. in addition, experts say that the oil in the area adds up to less than a six-month supply. is such a small amount of oil worth the risk drilling poses to these animals? americans are the largest consumers of oil. instead of drilling for oil, we should decrease our need for foreign oil simply by using less. we must all work together to cut back on the oil we use in order to preserve the wildlife of the arctic national wildlife refuge. what type of argument is used in this paragraph? i believe the cost of such drilling is too high. i agree with environmentalists who fear that drilling will disturb the migration of more than 130,000 caribou. each spring, the caribou travel 400 miles to give birth on the coastal plain. in this area of the refuge, there are fewer predators. in addition, experts say that the oil in the area adds up to less than a six-month supply. is such a small amount of oil worth the risk drilling poses to these animals? a. appeal to emotion c. appeal to logic b. bandwagon d. none of the above select the best answer from the choices provided a b c d

Listening is also important because you spend more time listening than participating in any other communication activity. in fact, you spend more time listening to others than doing almost anything else. typical americans spend more than 80 percent of any average day communicating with other people l. they spend 45 percent of that communication time listening to others. which sentence states the main idea?