Read the paragraph.

kev leaned heavily against the kitchen table where he sat, elbows propped, chin in his hands. inspiration would not come, though he had long pondered the essay topic in front of him. he exhaled a dreary sigh, the sound of which was interrupted by a drip from the kitchen faucet. kev’s eyelids drooped, and his thoughts drifted. which words reveal the pace of the story? check all that apply.

a.) kitchen table
b.) long pondered
c.) in front
d.) dreary sigh
e.) kitchen faucet
f.) eyelids drooped

Which two lines in this excerpt from arthur conan doyle's "the contest" suggest that emperor nero was ruthless? each choice is in brackets. [an hour later the shepherd was well on his way to his mountain home, and about the same time the emperor, having received the chaplet of olympia for the incomparable excellence of his performance, was making inquiries with a frowning brow as to who the insolent person might be who had dared to utter such contemptuous criticisms.] [“bring him to me here this instant,” said he, “and let marcus with his knife and branding-iron be in attendance.”] [“rumours! ” cried the angry nero. “what do you mean, arsenius? i tell you that the fellow was an ignorant upstart, with the bearing of a boor and the voice of a peacock.] [i have half a mind to burn their town about their ears so that they may remember my visit.”] [“i conquered! you are mad, arsenius. what do you mean? ”] [it is whispered that for once the great god pan has condescended to measure himself against a mortal.”]