Extra! extra! backyard birding
many schools, families, and young birders across the country participate in the "great backyard bird count." while not as long as a "big year," the "great backyard bird count" happens every year. it depends on birders and families across the country to watch feeders and other areas in their yards and count the number of birds they see. unlike the "big year," the goal is not to see who can count the most birds. instead, participants in this event work together to bird experts get a good idea of how birds are doing. participants are given checklists and enter their sightings on a website. called a "citizen-science" project, this event is open to anyone, requires no travel, and happens every year over one weekend in february.

what is the main point of the paragraph that begins "this honesty comes from…" in "a big year"?
a. a "big year" offers many rewards beyond winning.
b. beautiful and amazing birds are worthy of searching out.
c. birds come in many shapes and colors.
d. breaking records tends to keep people honest.

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 .

In this excerpt from "a modest proposal" by jonathan swift, which important issue does the writer deal with using a satirical tone? 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. but i am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. and as to the young labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. they cannot get work, and consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to a degree, that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come. a. old, sickly people cannot be hired as laborers because they don't have the physical stamina required for the job. b. old, sickly people and young laborers are useless to the nation because they cannot be productive citizens. c. the economy of the nation is burdened by the poor, the old, and the sickly who survive on charity and handouts. d. the living conditions of the poor and their lack of employment opportunities are serious concerns for the nation. reset next

From the story " saving the children"why is nicholas winton honored today? why did jewish people in czechoslovakia want to get their children out of the country? where did nicholas winton do his work saving the children? why was it hard for winton to find refuge for the children? to confirm your understanding, write a summary of “saving the children.”(a) aside from winton, who were the interview subjects? (b) analyze what do most of the interview subjects have in common? (a) why wasn’t this story told until 50 years later? (b) infer what does this say about winton’s character? summarize how did winton finally manage to get the children out of czechoslovakia? (a) support what was the “lie” hugo meisl’s parents told hugo and his brother before they sent them away? (b) make a judgment was this the right thing to do? explain. essential question: how do we remember the past? what have you learned about the nature of heroism from reading this article?