Answer [D]: The question most effectively answered by this passage is “What is palladium?”. The passage describes the metal, when it was discovered, how it is used, and where and how it is mined. There is little elaboration on these points and the author provides only an overview for readers who may be unfamiliar with the metal.

Palladium, a soft shiny silvery-white metal, is one of six p

36 votes

Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into partnership and set up house together. For a long time all went well; they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to their stores. The bird's duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in fuel; the mouse fetched the water, and the sausage saw to the cooking. When people are too well off they always begin to long for something new. And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements. But the other bird sneered at him for being a poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other two stayed at home and had a good time of it. For, when the mouse had made the fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her little room and rest until it was time to set the table. The sausage had only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and when it was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth, or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and there they were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. Then, when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down to table, and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their fill till the following morning: and that was really a very delightful life. Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now time to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the work. Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no use; the bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had to be made. They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water. And now what happened? The sausage started in search of wood, the bird made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day. But the sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the bird flew out to meet him. He had not flown far, however, when he came across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. The bird complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he said was of any avail, for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the sausage, and that was the reason his life had been forfeited. He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he had seen and heard. They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make the best of things and to remain with one another. So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped into the pot; but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom, having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but also with life. Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he could nowhere see the cook. In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was to be found. Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown down, caught fire and began to blaze. The bird hastened to fetch some water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he was unable to recover himself, he was drowned. What is the main idea of this passage?

7 votes

Palladium, a soft shiny silvery-white metal, is one of six platinum group metals and is relatively rare. It was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. Palladium often replaces platinum since it is cheaper, harder and lighter. It can be drawn into wire or hammered out into sheets, it is often mixed with gold for “white gold” jewelry. Palladium can also be used to make surgical instruments. Automobile manufacturers need the world’s palladium for catalytic converters. Along with gold, silver, and platinum, palladium is a precious metal owned and traded by investors.Palladium mining is an intricate process because it is spread out under the earth’s surface. Mining palladium uses mechanical extraction methods that simplify the process. Makes it easier to get down into the Earth’s crust. The reserves in the upper portions of the crust is becoming depleted, so miners have to dig deeper. Most palladium is in Russian, North America, South Africa, and South America. The largest North American palladium mine - Montana’s Stillwater mine - is located in the United States. In South Africa, there is the largest proportion of palladium and platinum resource located mainly at the Bushveld Igeneous Complex.From which region are American manufacturers of surgical instruments likely to buy the metal necessary?

6 votes

Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into partnership and set up house together. For a long time all went well; they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to their stores. The bird's duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in fuel; the mouse fetched the water, and the sausage saw to the cooking. When people are too well off they always begin to long for something new. And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements. But the other bird sneered at him for being a poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other two stayed at home and had a good time of it. For, when the mouse had made the fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her little room and rest until it was time to set the table. The sausage had only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and when it was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth, or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and there they were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. Then, when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down to table, and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their fill till the following morning: and that was really a very delightful life. Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now time to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the work. Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no use; the bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had to be made. They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water. And now what happened? The sausage started in search of wood, the bird made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day. But the sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the bird flew out to meet him. He had not flown far, however, when he came across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. The bird complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he said was of any avail, for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the sausage, and that was the reason his life had been forfeited. He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he had seen and heard. They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make the best of things and to remain with one another. So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped into the pot; but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom, having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but also with life. Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he could nowhere see the cook. In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was to be found. Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown down, caught fire and began to blaze. The bird hastened to fetch some water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he was unable to recover himself, he was drowned. What was the bird doing when he died?

5 votes

There have been many famous political firsts in the history of the United States. Jeannette Pickering Rankin is no exception. She was the first woman elected to the United States Congress in 1917. Interestingly, she was a member of Congress before the U.S. Constitutional Amendment XIX granting women the right to vote was ratified.Jeannette Rankin was born near Missoula, Montana on June 11, 1880. Her father was a rancher and her mother was a schoolteacher. Jeannette was their first child. She attended public schools in Montana, and graduated from the University of Montana at Missoula in 1902 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She began promoting the women’s suffrage movement - an effort to secure women’s voting rights - in 1910.After working for the New York Women Suffrage Party and the American Woman Suffrage Association, Jeannette Rankin returned to Montana. She continued her working on women’s suffrage through speaking engagements and organization efforts. Rankins involvement helped Montanan women gain the right to vote in 1914.Rankin decided to run as a Republican for the United States House of Representatives in 1916. Her brother a prominent businessman supported her financially. Some people thought that her campaign would sour the fight for women’s voting rights. Her victory on August 29, 2016 sealed her place in history; she became the first women elected to U.S. Congress.Jeannette Rankin was officially sworn in as a member of 65th Congress on April 2, 1917. One of her first votes was against declaring war on Germany, which marked the United States’s entry into World War I. She continued supporting women’s suffrage, and she is appointed to a committee formed to examine the issue. In 1918, she opened debate in the U.S. House of Representatives on a resolution to grant women the right to vote. It was the precursor to the eventual constitutional amendment ratified two years later.Rankin did not run for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives. Instead, she sought election to the United States Senate. Her bid was very unsuccessful. She left Montana and moved to Georgia, where she purchased a farm. Despite the move, she maintained her status as a Montana resident. More than 20 years after her first term in Congress, Rankin won the 1940 election for the 77th Congress as a Montana Representative. In her second term she was an outspoken opponent of World War II. After leaving Congress in 1943, she continued to advocate for women’s rights and world peace until her death in 1973.What does the author’s tone indicate about his or her opinion of Jeannette Rankin?

5 votes

France colonized the country Vietnam in the mid-19th century. By 1945, the United States became concerned about the nationalist movement led by the Viet Minh and started supporting the french colonization of Vietnam. After World War II the nationalist movement led by Ho Chi Minh tried to take down the French government. President Truman assisted France by providing military equipment to help reestablish their presence and power in Vietnam. Despite the support of the United States, the Vietnamese was able to defeat France in 1954. As a result, the country divided into North and South Vietnam.After the division of Vietnam, the United States supports South Vietnam. With the approval of President John F. Kennedy, South Vietnamese generals led a coup against leader Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. The removal and murder of Diem started a period of political instability in Vietnam. The North Vietnamese and supportive rebel communists in South Vietnam, called the Viet Cong, started fighting.The crisis between the United States and North Vietnam intensified when North Vietnam attacked the U.S.S. Maddox off the coast of North Vietnam. President Johnson authorized the launch of air strikes and Congress approved military force against North Vietnam but he did not declare war. The United States sent troops in 1965 to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government. By the end of 1968, the United States had sent more than 500,000 troops to South Vietnam.In 1968, communists launched the tet offensive, a massive attack against the United States and South Vietnam. They hoped that to cause the South Vietnamese to lose faith in their government and to deal a blow to United States forces. They also wanted the attack to persuade the United States to begin peace negotiations with North Vietnam. Although the attack did not have the impact North Vietnamese leaders expected, it did stun the American people and demoralize war managers. This did eventually lead to President Johnson cut back on sending troops. He later called for peace negotiations.In July of 1969, United States troops began withdrawing, and on May 29, 1973, the last of American ground forces left Vietnam. Soon after, peace talks broke down and the war resumed, however, American troops did not return. The United States eventually began to reduce their military aid to South Vietnam. By 1975, North Vietnam and the Viet Cong won the war. This was the first war in a foreign country where combat forces did not achieve their goals of stopping the spread of communism.What action eventually led to President Johnson cutting back on sending troops to Vietnam?

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