Which evidence  best  supports this thesis? the school district should remove "free" or "study" periods from the school schedule in order to make the school day more efficient.   a. a poll of 100 teachers in our district revealed that the new homework limits have boosted standardized test scores considerably.  b. youth behavioral expert lenore cook notes that the mental separation and stress relief of study halls are key to a student's ability to focus in the classroom.  c. many parents of our students are unaware that their children have one or more free periods each day during which they can catch up on work.  d. research shows that little actual schoolwork gets done in study periods and that midday breaks actually lower knowledge retention rates.

From his studies of coptic, champollion knew that the egyptian word for "sun" was pronounced rah. he wrote down the first two letters of that sound, ra. next he put a question mark for the unknown middle hieroglyph. then, at the end, he wrote ss, the sound of the last two hieroglyphs. he studied the combination: ra ? ss. suddenly he remembered a famous pharaoh whose name appeared in ancient greek chronicles and also in the biblical book of exodus: rameses, or ramesses. could this be a hieroglyphic representation of ramesses' name? based on the excerpt, what detail did champollion need to conclude that the hieroglyphics might represent ramesses’s name?

Read the excerpt from act 1 of a doll's house. helmer: nora! [goes up to her and takes her playfully by the ear.] the same little featherhead! suppose, now, that i borrowed fifty pounds today, and you spent it all in the christmas week, and then on new year's eve a slate fell on my head and killed me, and— nora: [putting her hands over his mouth]. oh! don't say such horrid things. helmer: still, suppose that happened, —what then? nora: if that were to happen, i don't suppose i should care whether i owed money or not. helmer: yes, but what about the people who had lent it? nora: they? who would bother about them? i should not know who they were. helmer: that is like a woman! but seriously, nora, you know what i think about that. no debt, no borrowing. there can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt. we two have kept bravely on the straight road so far, and we will go on the same way for the short time longer that there need be any struggle. nora: [moving towards the stove]. as you , torvald. how does the interaction between helmer and nora advance the plot? nora realizes that helmer will completely disapprove of her having borrowed money, so she has to continue to keep it a secret from him. nora realizes that she and helmer have the same ideas about financial issues, and the conversation brings them closer together later in the play. helmer realizes that nora is more responsible with money than he originally thought, and he trusts her more with finances later in the play. nora realizes that helmer knows a lot more about borrowing and lending, and she will seek his input later when she needs it.

Read the excerpt from infinite jest 'my application's not bought," i am telling them, calling into the darkness of the red cave that opens out before closed eyes. 'tam not just a boy who plays tennis. i have an intricate history. experiences and feelings. i'm complex. "read,' i say. 'i study and read. i bet i've read everything you've read. don't think i haven't. i consume libraries. i wear out spines and rom-drives. i do things like get in a taxi and say, "the library, and step on it." my instincts concerning syntax and mechanics are better than your own, i can tell, with due respect. the theme suggested by the excerpt is about a. being understood b. the value of education c. wisdom versus foolishness d. learning responsibility