... was actually even lower than expected. A division of MasterCard showed holiday spending this year was down by as much as 4% over the same period last year, making this year the worst holiday season for them in modern times. Even retail behemoths such as Gap experienced a drop in sales by close to 20 percent. Best Buy and other electronics and appliance stores experienced even more significant drops ... again, could easily run up a considerable amount of debt, having the opposite effect on the economy than that which is desired. The holiday season may be over, but our collective money tr...

• Word Count: 431
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography

... of toxic red sludge, Zoltan Bakonyi, is being questioned on the suspicion of public endangerment causing multiple deaths and environmental damage (Yahoo! News). The sludge burst from its reservoir last week, killing eight people. The European Union and environmental groups are worried that the sludge could spread down the Danube River, resulting in long-term consequences for many nations. Emergency workers are currently trying ... to build temporary barriers to slow down the sludge before it reaches the Danube River. They will then scoop out as much as possible. The idea is that the slud...

• Word Count: 517
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography

... every meeting of your voice stuns my heart into a breathless trance that could not be broken for the world. And at every meeting of your voice that yearning is revitalized. This I want you to now, because you are the beauty of my life; that gives me the vigor to move through my day with an up beat heart, knowing that I will hear you ... ...

• Word Count: 243
• Approx Pages: 1
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... pulsing; screaming to get out. It rattles its restraining shackles like a prisoner dying to plea its innocence. Pacing up and down, backwards and forwards - the fire within me yearns to get out. It emerged from the depths of the utter nowhere-ness of my soul; a dark, unexplored abyss of emotions. I have little recollection of its arrival, only that it was painful, exciting, emotional ... , bewitching. As tempers flared I felt its release, its escape from the eerie grips of my chasm. The claws of emotional sanity, which held it firmly into place and which kept a perfect harmony within my ...

• Word Count: 274
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

Texas judge William Adams, who ironically presides over child abuse cases, caused uproar when daughter Hillary Adams uploaded a video on YouTube of him savagely beating her with a belt when she was sixteen years old. According to Hillary, the abuse was not a one-time thing. Her mother, Hallie Adams who has since divorced William, claimed that her ex-husband had bouts of violence caused by his "addiction," which they kept as a "family secret" for a long time. Because the statute of limitations has lapsed, William cannot be charged with child abuse, although it is yet to be seen whether his care...

• Word Count: 531
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... than before pregnant. But was not enough. That is why she lost a baby. when she got home from hospital my family prayed for her health. And we talked about she needs to exercise. If she works out she can eat a lot food. And her body is going be strong. So my father bought her running Machine. She ... was happy with that. Because she wanted to running all the time but nobody wanted to run with her. She asked me to run with her long time ago. I said "no" because I'm smoking too much. I can not run ... I said " ask to my brother whose your husband" she said " he said ask to you" I was laug...

• Word Count: 421
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... say that I am not guilty of committing such acts of witchcraft on these children. I am not, will not, nor have I ever hurt a child in my life. I am a woman of the Lord himself, and answer only to His commandments. You accuse me of a crime I did not commit, a sin I most certainly am incapable of ... performing. I stand before you and plea not guilty. My absence in these children's houses on the specific dates stated clearly proves my innocence. And if I were to be the tormentor of these children, tell me why I would pick such a time to do so, before my accusers, before ... I'd want to vei...

• Word Count: 276
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... is an integral factor that brings forth changes in other characters. After Sarah learns that the Vice-President is in town, "she waited in the evening until her child was safely asleep, and wrapping a shawl about her head, left the house without telling any member of the family and ran down the hill to North Avenue. She was shoeless" (189). Sarah runs to the Vice-President for Coalhouse's justice, and she ... ", he pictures himself assassinating the President McKinley (172). By interacting with Goldman, Mother's Younger Brother develops his risky imagery as a revolutionist who opposes th...

• Word Count: 514
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... has many twists and turns. It starts off with Shulawitsi (The Fire God), or George Bowlegs getting ready to go running. He was training hard to get in shape for the ritual dance to Zuni. His good friend George Bowlegs was waiting at the end of his run with his bike. But when he ... got to his bike, there was someone waiting there, but it wasn't Bowlegs. It was Salamobia, a black feather covered bird with big, round, yellow eyes. He is normally invisible to everyone except those about ... Zuni. He is a single Navaho man that worked on the police force for a while. He wasn't too happy abo...

• Word Count: 287
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... Forever Catharine and Newt had grown up next door to each other, an now at 20 they hadn't seen each other for nearly a year. They had always been close and playful, but they had never discussed love. Newt showed up on Catharine's doorstep by surprise one day, she was looking through a magazine completely devoted to brides. Catharine had fallen in ... love with a man named Henry while Newt was away, and their wedding was set to take place in less than a week. Newt asked Catharine to take ... leave, he was A.W.O.L. Catharine thought he was kidding and he told her he loved her. Being in lo...

• Word Count: 370
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... what seemed to be a routine visit. After finishing the vital signs there was a rise in my blood pressure along with edema. The signs made it obvious to the doctor that this pregnancy had taken a toll on my body and it was time to get the baby out. The decision was made to deliver the baby and I was taken to the maternal newborn floor for an induction. Shortly after ... and it felt as though they were going to last forever. I admit after going through two previous pregnancies this one was very different. After hours of enduring painful contractions the time came for the epidural. The pai...

• Word Count: 312
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

Just imagine life without any authority. The world would be filled with savages - completely crazy and unruly. Everyone would be able to do all they want without any consequences. In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, this happens and young Jack can be characterized as an arrogant, heartless, self-absorbed, and ... untamed little boy trying to lead government on an island. Jack is a cruel child. When all the boys are arguing because they can't ... likes to gain power at someone's expense. He wants to seem powerful to his friends. All he cares about is his reputation and how he app...

• Word Count: 735
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... was really a lie. Now that this has happened I found out that it is worse to be caught in a lie then to tell the truth in the first place. But now that I found out that lying is worse than telling the truth, everytime one of my friends I would tell them the truth (most of the time) and say that I was doing whatever I was going to do. Also, since then I have kept ... all my friends except one, which I wont go into because it has nothing to do with the story, from being truthful and not lying about doing something that I am not ... really going to do. Remember that telling the truth will...

• Word Count: 335
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... helps a lot; laughing together is what we are looking for, so this is just perfect. The woman has to be open-minded as well. She must be able to agree to certain things she doesn't like. She can't be complaining about something that she doesn't like all the time. Being able to start a conversation is also a very good characteristic a woman can possess. This ... shows that she is very confident and sure about what she is doing, and we value that. We want someone who knows how to get ... looks like trouble sooner or later, and this is something we want to avoid. In order to have a succes...

• Word Count: 570
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... why. My father is often laughing, joking, talking about some serious things in a funny, almost silly, way. My mother in contrast is always serious, tensed and somehow stressed. They make a good balance in our family. Their characters made a great influence on their appearance. My father has a bit fatty funny face with a forever smile and eyes slits like the person who always laughing. He looks like a comic ... sometimes. My mother has stern face features and I can compare her look to politic. I often think that she has something in common with Hakamada, one of the politicians in our cou...

• Word Count: 287
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

The passage taken from Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron," portrays a "small and hopeful" child, Sylvia, climbing to the top of a tree. Sylvia starts her journey at the bottom of the tree looking up at the wonderful adventure ahead of her. Jewett creates the adventure to entertain the idea of growing up. Jewett begins this prose passage with the memory of childhood pastimes ending with becoming an adolescent reaching the ultimate goal ... in life, whatever that maybe for each person(s). Jewett creates the memory of childhood pastimes by creating the moment of intensity. The heat of the momen...

• Word Count: 650
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... about the Peebles. The Peebles were ignorant of Loretta's true motives. It appeared to Edie that Chris was her true love when in reality it was the mailman she would marry and fall in love with. Similarly, the mailman believed Edie was always waiting for him at the mailbox when in actuality she was waiting for her letter from Chris. False appearances can make it hard to detect the truth. Some characters in the ... story are obvious to supporting the theme. "I was 15 and away from home ... for the first time- described Edie as being young and nave to the world. She was very responsible ...

• Word Count: 819
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The main characters of Much Ado About Nothing are Benedick, Beatrice, Claudio, Hero, Don Pedro, and Don John. Some of the minor characters are Antonio, Borachio, Dogberry, Leonato, Conrade, Ursula, and Margaret. The main characters in a play have may lines in which they speak to each other. However, the minor characters rarely have big speaking parts. The only way one can get to know the minor characters is through their short conversations with the major characters ... prove that even good women can cheat, and it gives the others a bad reputation, like Benedick said. Benedick flirts back a l...

• Word Count: 461
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... that have a fence separating their property. Hunters and everyone else tear up the wall, so they go out and repair it together. One of the neighbors feels that the wall isn't necessary, but the other does. The deeper meaning actually helps you to understand more about the characters and who they are. The neighbor has a need for his own barriers. He feels that he needs ... something to push against. The neighbor believes that a fence is a good thing for a relationship. It helps with the boundaries. The one wall actually takes on the role of two different walls in ... this poem because t...

• Word Count: 283
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... is a popular quote in society. Is there truth in this statement? Or is it just a catchy phrase? It depends on the situation. In the game of life there are winners and losers. There is no in between, it is either won or lost. In "The Crucible", there are some obvious winners and losers. Most people in Salem were good Christians, ... And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnams dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will com to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that w...

• Word Count: 1036
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... frock. She went out and bought one. Then she said that "I need jewelry" and he said that she could wear a real flower. Then Mr. Loisel got the idea of borrowing it from her friend Mme. Forestier. Then she goes over to her house and asks if it's all right if she could borrow her jewelry for ... one night and she said that is fine so she picked out a necklace and wore it to the party. She danced and enjoyed herself until four in the morning. She wanted to leave before the other women got there and started to put on their fur wraps on. She started to run down ... the stairs and onto the s...

• Word Count: 352
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... the Flies The novel Lord of the Flies begins with an introduction of characters and government. At the beginning of the story the government seems to have a democratic way of electing a leader. The group of surviving boys has a choice between Jack and Ralph. Jack already being the leader of the choir seems to be a power crazy and very bossy little boy. He has a critical attitude and finds imperfection in all the ... boys for example the crowd has already ... or totalitarian. Before Ralph's departure on his journey he chooses Jack and a kid named Simon out of the group to follow him. The...

• Word Count: 261
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... wasn't true, yet they couldn't figure out what was really wrong with me. In the last year I have really opened up about my Trichotillomania case, and to my surprise people actually do understand. People ask every once in a while what happened to my hair "up there on top," and I just tell them the truth. Trichotillomania has dramatically interfered with many areas of my life, but at ... the same time my condition has really changed who I am. I still have Trichotillomania and may ... have it for the rest of my life. I hope and pray that ... ...

• Word Count: 582
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... 've started reading it. It makes you wonder and care for the characters" fate. We, the readers, want to get Mitch out of the trouble he is in, regardless of his greedy side. This novel also takes us deep into a world of tax lawyers and top of the line Harvard graduates, where anything is possible and the power drips off every page. Although we sense that something ... , wonder what would we have done in his situation? One page has a way of dissolving into the next, and you can feel Mitch's despair and confusion right along with him. I wasn't that pleased with the ending of the novel, beca...

• Word Count: 253
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... something to fight for, even when all seems lost. These are shown by the many losses in The Last of Us, such as Sarah, Tess, Henry, Sam, and almost the losses of Joel and Ellie. The game tells the story of Joel as he deals with a fungal infection that has affected most of the world. Many characters join him, including Tess, the partner of Joel who is there as we begin ... the adventure of Joel and Ellie, a young infected girl who is immune, Joel and ... a secret area in Pittsburg, you find a family in a bathtub. They committed suicide, and when Ellie finds it, she says "[they] must hav...

• Word Count: 1556
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School