Read the excerpt from an adaptation of “The Fox and the Cat” from Aesop’s Fables. Which line is spoken and indicates the cat admires the fox? (A cat and a fox are in a forest. They are standing in front of a backdrop with trees. On stage left there is a large tree. The cat looks at the fox in admiration. The fox is center stage. The cat approaches the fox.)

CAT: (Thinking aloud to herself as she walks) He is clever and full of experience and much esteemed in the world.

CAT: (Speaking to the fox in a friendly way) Good day, dear Mr. Fox. How are you? How are you getting on in these hard times?

(The fox looks at the cat from head to foot. There is a long pause before he replies.)

FOX: (Arrogantly) Oh, you wretched and hungry mouse hunter! What can you be thinking of? How dare you ask me how I am getting on? What sort of education have you had? How many arts do you understand?

A. The cat looks at the fox in admiration

B. He is clever and full of experience and much esteemed in the world.

C. How are you getting in these hard times?

Read this passage: many manufacturers prefer plastic as a material for containers because it can be molded into many shapes. but plastic is not very strong. it must be fused with glass or steel for strength. it is also not very durable. even the strongest plastic can break under enough pressure. the biggest disadvantage to using plastic is that it does not decompose. while plastic can be recycled, doing so is tedious and difficult. while it may be more expensive and difficult to work with, aluminum is a much stronger building material with far greater tensile strength. it conducts electricity because it is metal. best of all, aluminum is very easy to recycle. even if it is thrown away, it decomposes much more quickly than most manufacturing materials. how does the compare-and-contrast organizational pattern of the passage support the author's purpose? a. the passage gradually leads up to the point about decomposition to inform the reader about the importance of recycling plastics. b. the passage lists the advantages and disadvantages of each material to make a case for the use of plastic and not aluminum in containers. c. the passage begins with a description of plastic's problems in order to call attention to the good qualities of aluminum. d. the passage shows the superiority of aluminum in order to make a case for the production of stronger plastics.