As little as three years before her birth, few would have thought that the child born Princess Alexandrina Victoria would eventually become Brittain's longest monarch, Queen Victoria. She was born in 1819, the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, who was the fourth son of King George III. Ahead of Edward were three brothers, two of whom became king but none of whom produced a legitimate, , surviving heir, King George's eldest son, who was eventually crowned King George IV, secretly married a Catholic commoner, Maria Fitzherbert, in 1783. The marriage was never officially recognized, and in 1795, George was persuaded to marry a distant cousin, Caroline of Brunswick. The marriage was bitter, and the two had only one daughter, Princess Charlotte Augusta. She was popular in England where her eventual reign was welcome, but in a tragic event that shocked the nation, the princess and her stillborn son dies in childbirth in 1817.

Realizing the precarious position of the British throne, the remaining sons of King George III were motivated to marry and produce an heir. The first in line was Prince Frederick, the Duke of York. Frederick married Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, but the two had no children. After Prince Frederick was Prince William, the Duke of Clarence. William married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and they had two sickly daughters neither of whom survived infancy. Finally, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, threw his hat into the ring with his marriage to Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield. The Duke of Kent died less than a year after his daughter's birth, but the surviving Duchess of Kent was not unaware of the future possibilities for her daughter. She took every precaution to ensure that the young Princess Victoria was healthy and safe throughout her childhood.

Princess Victoria's uncle, William, succeeded his brother George IV to become King William IV. The new king recognized his niece as his future heir, but he did not necessarily trust her mother. As a result, he was determined to survive until Victoria's eighteenth birthday to ensure that she could rule in own right without the regency of the Duchess of Kent. The king's fervent prayers were answered: he died June, 1837, less than one month after Victoria turned eighteen. Through young and inexperienced, the young queen recognized the importance of her position and determined to rule fairly and wisely. The improbable princess who became queen ruled for more than sixty-three years, and her reign is considered to be one of the most important in British history.

What is the author's likely purpose in writing this passage about Queen Victoria?

"Yo Ho, a Pirate's Book For Me"

Book Review by Stephen Davidson from the online blog Popular Reads

In the 17th century, there were people who called the sea home and sought extraordinary adventures. These people were called pirates. Pirates, or privateers as they were sometimes called, have long been a part of popular culture in the 21st century in books, television shows, plays, and movies. With so many pieces of media about pirates, one would not think that anything else would be needed. That would be a mistaken belief.Pirates: A Swashbuckling History by Grace O'Malley Teach, a popular fiction writer, is a wonderful addition to the popular fiction on pirates. She brings a fresh take on mythology from the world of piracy. Each chapter of this 168 page book is dedicated to a famous (or possibly infamous) pirate from history, from the dreaded Blackbeard to the fierce Mary Reed. As she explores these legends with her vivid writing style, it is like the pirates leap from the pages of the book and begin battling in right in front of my eyes. In addition to her excellent writing bringing the stories to life, artistic representations of each of the pirates has been created for this book by up and coming illustrator Edward Teach, the author's brother, who just began a comic series about British history.Some of the content can get a little graphic in its violence, which is what we should really all expect from a book about pirates. However, I believe that this book is the perfect present for the young children that haven't yet found a love of reading. I would also recommend this as a fun read when relaxing on a boat or by the beach to really get in the mindset of piracy and adventure. No matter where this book is read, I can guarantee that this is a purchase is worth it!

Yo Ho, a Pirate's Book For Me"Which of the following phrases contains information that is irrelevant to the review of the book?

Which of the following would be the best reference material for a researcher looking for statistics over different demographics in various countries?

In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died. She had never married and had no heir, so the throne passed to a distant relative: James Stuart, the son of Elizabeth's cousin and one time rival for the throne, Mary, Queen of Scotts, James was crowded King James VI of Scotland, and the combination of roles would create a spirit of conflict that hunted the two nations for generations to come.

The conflict developed as a result of rising tensions among the people within the nations, as well as between them. Scholars in the 21st century area far too hasty to dismissing the role of religion in political disputes, but religion undoubtedly played a role in the problems that faced England and Scotland. By the time of James Stuart's succession to the English people had firmly embrace the teachings of Protestant theology. Similarly, The Scottish Lowlands was decisively Protestant. In the Scottish Highlands, however, the clans retained their Catholic fate. James acknowledged the Church of England and still sanctioned the largely Protestant translation of the Bible that still bears his name

James's son King Charles I proved himself to be less committed to the Protestant Church of England. Charles married the Catholic Princess Henrietta Maria of France, and there were suspicious among the English and the Lowland Scots that Charles was quietly a Catholic. Charles's own political troubles extended beyond religion in this case, and he was beheaded in 1649. Eventually, his son King Charles's II would be crowded, and this Charles believed to have converted secretly to the Catholic Church, Charles II died without a legitimate heir, and his brother James ascended to the throne as King James II.

James was recognized to be a practicing Catholic, and his commitment to Catholicism would prove to be his downfall. James's wife Mary Beatrice lost number of children during their infancy, and when she became pregnant again in 1687 the public became concerned, if James had a son, that son would undoubtedly be raised a Catholic, and the English people would not stand for this. Mary gave birth to a son, but the story quickly circulated that the royal child had died and the child named James's heir was a founding smuggled in .James, his wife, and his infant son were forced to flee; and James's Protestant daughter Mary was crowned the queen.

In spite of a strong resemblance to the King, the young James was generally rejected among the English and the Lowland Scots, who referred to him as the "the Pretender."

But in the Highlands the Catholic princeling was welcome. He inspire a group known as Jacoties, to reflect the Latin version of his name. His own son Charles, known affectionately as Bonnie Prince Charlie, would eventually raise an army and attempt to recapture what believed to be his throne. The movement was soundly defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746; and England and Scotland have remained ostensibly Protestant ever since.

Based on the information that is provided within the passage, which of the following can be inferred about King James II's son?

Harriet Tubman was a runaway slave from Maryland who became known as the "Moses of her people." Over the course of 10 years, and at great personal risk, she led hundreds of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses where runaway slaves could stayeir journey north to freedom She later became a leader in the abolitionist movement, and during the Civil War she was a spy for the federal forces in South Carolina as well as a nurse

Harriet Tubman's name at birth was Araminte Ross. She was one of 11 children of Harriet and Benjamin Ross born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland. As a child, Ross was "hired out" by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby Ross had to stay awake all night so that the baby wouldn't cry and wake the mother. If Ross fell asleep, the baby's mother whipped her. From a very young age, Ross was determined to gain her freedom.

As a slave, Araminta Ross was scarred for life when she refused to help in the punishment of another young slave. A young man had gone to the store without permission, and when he returned, the overseer wanted to whip him. He asked Ross to help but she refused. When the young man started to run away, the overseer picked up a heavy iron weight and threw it at him. He missed the young man and hit Ross instead. The weight nearly crushed her skull and left a deep scar. She was unconscious for days, and suffered from seizures for the rest of her life.

In 1844, Ross married a free black named Jahe Tubman and took his last name. She also changed her first name, taking her mother's name, Harriet, in 1849, worried that she and the other slaves on the plantation were going to be sold, Tubman decided to run away. Her husband refused to go with her, so she set out with her two brothers, and followed the North Star in the sky to guide her north to freedom Her brothers became frightened and turned back, but she continued on and reached Philadelphia. There she found work as a household servent and saved her money so she could return to help others escape.

This passage is mainly about which of the following?

As little as three years before her birth, few would have thought that the child born Princess Alexandrina Victoria would eventually become Brittain's longest monarch, Queen Victoria. She was born in 1819, the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, who was the fourth son of King George III. Ahead of Edward were three brothers, two of whom became king but none of whom produced a legitimate, , surviving heir, King George's eldest son, who was eventually crowned King George IV, secretly married a Catholic commoner, Maria Fitzherbert, in 1783. The marriage was never officially recognized, and in 1795, George was persuaded to marry a distant cousin, Caroline of Brunswick. The marriage was bitter, and the two had only one daughter, Princess Charlotte Augusta. She was popular in England where her eventual reign was welcome, but in a tragic event that shocked the nation, the princess and her stillborn son dies in childbirth in 1817.

Realizing the precarious position of the British throne, the remaining sons of King George III were motivated to marry and produce an heir. The first in line was Prince Frederick, the Duke of York. Frederick married Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, but the two had no children. After Prince Frederick was Prince William, the Duke of Clarence. William married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and they had two sickly daughters neither of whom survived infancy. Finally, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, threw his hat into the ring with his marriage to Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield. The Duke of Kent died less than a year after his daughter's birth, but the surviving Duchess of Kent was not unaware of the future possibilities for her daughter. She took every precaution to ensure that the young Princess Victoria was healthy and safe throughout her childhood.

Princess Victoria's uncle, William, succeeded his brother George IV to become King William IV. The new king recognized his niece as his future heir, but he did not necessarily trust her mother. As a result, he was determined to survive until Victoria's eighteenth birthday to ensure that she could rule in own right without the regency of the Duchess of Kent. The king's fervent prayers were answered: he died June, 1837, less than one month after Victoria turned eighteen. Through young and inexperienced, the young queen recognized the importance of her position and determined to rule fairly and wisely. The improbable princess who became queen ruled for more than sixty-three years, and her reign is considered to be one of the most important in British history.

Based on the context of the passage the reader can infer that this information is likely to appear in which of the following types of works?

The next three questions are based on the following passage

NOTE: The instructor of a history class has just finished grading the essay exams from his students, and the results are not good. The essay exam was worth 70% of the final course score. The highest score in the class was a low B, and more than half of the class of 65 students failed the exam. In view of this, the instructor reconsiders his grading plan for the semester and sends out an email message to all students.

Dear students:

The score for the essay exam have been posted in the online course grade book. By now, many of you have probably seen your grade and are a little concerned.( And if you're not concerned, you should be- at least a bit!) At the beginning of the semester. , I informed the class that I have a strict grading policy and that all scores will stand unquestioned. With each class comes a new challenge, however, and as any good instructor will tell you, sometimes the original plan has to change. As a result, I propose the following options for students to make up their score:

1) I Will present the class with an extra credit project at the next course meeting. The extra credit project will be worth 150% of the point value of the essay exam that has just been completed. While I will not drop the essay exam score, I will give you more than enough of a chance to make up the difference and raise your overall score.

2) I will allow each student to develop his or her own extra credit project. This project may reflect the tenor of option number 1 (above) but will allow the student to create a project more in his or her own line of interest. Bear in mind, however, that this is more of a risk. The scoring for option number 2 will be more subjective, depending on whether or not I feel that the project is a successful alternative to the essay exam. If it is, the student will be awarded up to 150% of the point value of the essay exam.

3) I will provide the class with the option of developing a group project. Students may form groups of 3 or 4 and put together an extra credit project that reflects a stronger response to the questions in the essay exam. This extra credit project will receive an equal score for the project, so there is a risk in this as well. If you are part of a group in which you do most of the work, each member of the group will receive equal credit for it. The purpose of the project is to allow students to work together and arrive at a stronger response than if each worked individually.

If you are interested in pursuing extra credit to make up for the essay exam, please choose one of the options above. No other extra credit opportunities will be provided for the course.

Good Luck!

Dr. Edwards

Which of the following describes this type of writing?

The next five questions are based on this passage

In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died. She had never married and had no heir, so the throne passed to a distant relative: James Stuart, the son of Elizabeth's cousin and one time rival for the throne, Mary, Queen of Scotts, James was crowded King James VI of Scotland, and the combination of roles would create a spirit of conflict that hunted the two nations for generations to come.

The conflict developed as a result of rising tensions among the people within the nations, as well as between them. Scholars in the 21st century area far too hasty to dismissing the role of religion in political disputes, but religion undoubtedly played a role in the problems that faced England and Scotland. By the time of James Stuart's succession to the English people had firmly embrace the teachings of Protestant theology. Similarly, The Scottish Lowlands was decisively Protestant. In the Scottish Highlands, however, the clans retained their Catholic fate. James acknowledged the Church of England and still sanctioned the largely Protestant translation of the Bible that still bears his name

James's son King Charles I proved himself to be less committed to the Protestant Church of England. Charles married the Catholic Princess Henrietta Maria of France, and there were suspicious among the English and the Lowland Scots that Charles was quietly a Catholic. Charles's own political troubles extended beyond religion in this case, and he was beheaded in 1649. Eventually, his son King Charles's II would be crowded, and this Charles believed to have converted secretly to the Catholic Church, Charles II died without a legitimate heir, and his brother James ascended to the throne as King James II.

James was recognized to be a practicing Catholic, and his commitment to Catholicism would prove to be his downfall. James's wife Mary Beatrice lost number of children during their infancy, and when she became pregnant again in 1687 the public became concerned, if James had a son, that son would undoubtedly be raised a Catholic, and the English people would not stand for this. Mary gave birth to a son, but the story quickly circulated that the royal child had died and the child named James's heir was a founding smuggled in .James, his wife, and his infant son were forced to flee; and James's Protestant daughter Mary was crowned the queen.

In spite of a strong resemblance to the King, the young James was generally rejected among the English and the Lowland Scots, who referred to him as the "the Pretender."

But in the Highlands the Catholic princeling was welcome. He inspires a group known as Jacoties, to reflect the Latin version of his name. His own son Charles, known affectionately as Bonnie Prince Charlie, would eventually raise an army and attempt to recapture what believed to be his throne. The movement was soundly defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746; and England and Scotland have remained ostensibly Protestant ever since.

Which of the following sentences contains an opinion on the part of the author?

In 1907, Edith Cavell, a British nurse, was appointed head nurse of the Berkendael Medical Institute in Belgium. In 1914, at the start of World War I and the German occupation of Belgium, Cavell joined the Red Cross to support the nursing effort. The Berkendael Institute was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers of all nationalities. During this time, Cavell helped soldiers treated there to escape to neutral Holland. In 1915, she was arrested by local German authorities for abetting the escape of 200 soldiers and was sentenced to death. Cavell's case received significant press coverage around the world, especially in Britain and the United States. In the weeks after her death, the number of men enlisting to serve in World War I greatly increased.

Which sentence in the passage allows the reader to infer that Edith Cavell was a skilled nurse?

The Bermuda Triangle

The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. The interest first began when five Navy planes vanished in 1945, officially resulting from "causes or reasons unknown." The explanations about other accidents in the Triangle range from the scientific to the supernatural. Researchers have never been able to find anything truly mysterious about what happens in the Bermuda Triangle, if there even is a Bermuda Triangle. What is more one of the biggest challenges in considering the phenomenon is deciding how much area actually represents the Bermuda Triangle. Most consider the Triangle to stretch from Miami out to Puerto Rico and to include the island of Bermuda. Others expand the area to include all of the Caribbean islands and to extend eastward as far as the Azores, which are closer to Europe than they are to North America.

The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is it increase the odds of accidents. There is near-constant travel, by ship and plane, across the Atlantic, and accidents are expected to occur. In fact, the Bermuda Triangle happens to fall within one of the busiest navigational regions in the world, and the reality of greater activity creates the possibility for more to go wrong. Shipping records suggest that there is not a greater than average loss of vessels within the Bermuda Triangle, and many researchers have argued that the reputation of the Triangle makes any accident seem out of the ordinary. In fact, most accidents fall within the expected margin of error. The increase in ships from East Asia no doubt contributes to an increase in accidents. And as for the story of the Navy planes that disappeared within the Triangle, many researchers now conclude that it was the result of mistakes on the part of the pilot who were flying into storm clouds and simply got lost.

With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?

At a school field trip to the zoo, Laura wanted to visit as many animals as she could. She first stopped at the lion exhibit. Then, she saw the elephant after stopping to see the giraffe. Finally, she stopped to see the otter playing in the water.

Which of the following animals did Laura see second?