A Big Year
By Bob Kowalski

Would you go to the ends of the earth to see a bird? What if it were a really special bird: one with beautiful feathers, an entrancing call, or a silly dance? What if seeing that one special bird would allow you to win a contest?

If that contest doesn't get you on television or win you any cash prizes, would you still do it? For those who participate in the "Big Year," the honor of beating the previous record is the only reward they get or even want.

A "Big Year" is a year in which a person attempts to see as many different species of birds as possible within a particular region. For most in North America who participate in a "Big Year," this region is the lower 48 American states, plus Alaska, Canada, and a couple of French islands off the Canadian coast.

You may be thinking that looking at birds is silly, but just think about the numbers of the recent record holders and the commitment it takes to get these numbers. One recent "Big Year" winner managed to see 744 birds in one year, missing the record by just one bird. Big Year birders travel by train, plane, boat, car, bicycle, and of course, by foot. They can cover over 150 thousand miles to get numbers of sightings this high. They can also spend a small fortune.

Just to clarify, the birds these contestants are counting are the number that they see in a particular year. You see, the contest is based on an honor system. No pictures or other evidence is required as proof of a sighting. Most birders take great pride in their reputation and their abilities to see or hear and then identify a bird. Usually, important sightings of the rare birds needed to get counts in the 700s are visited by hundreds of birders. It is pretty hard to cheat your way to a record-breaking year, but in general, few are interested in cheating.

This honesty comes from the fact that most people who want to break such a record know the greatest rewards are not necessarily in winning. Such rewards are in being able to commit a year of your life to doing something you love. Rewards are found in seeing amazing, inspiring creatures like the California Condor or the Magnificent Frigate bird. Rewards also come in spending time with people who, like you, want to spend their time looking to the skies and trees for glimpses of emerald, crimson, or cerulean blue feathered jewels.

You don't have to be able to travel a continent to have a big birding experience though. Have a big month. Or a big weekend. Set a personal record, learn to identify the species that live in your part of the world, or try to learn the calls of just two species of birds. You will soon find looking at birds isn't such a strange way to spend your time.


Extra! Extra! Backyard Birding
Many schools, families, and young birders across the country participate in the "Great Backyard Bird Count." While not as long as a "Big Year," the "Great Backyard Bird Count" happens every year. It depends on birders and families across the country to watch feeders and other areas in their yards and count the number of birds they see. Unlike the "Big Year," the goal is not to see who can count the most birds. Instead, participants in this event work together to help bird experts get a good idea of how birds are doing. Participants are given checklists and enter their sightings on a website. Called a "citizen-science" project, this event is open to anyone, requires no travel, and happens every year over one weekend in February.


Read this sentence:

A "Big Year" is a year in which a person attempts to see as many different species of birds as possible within a particular region.

What does "Big Year" mean in this context?
A. Year with the most travel
B. Year with the most money
C. Year with the most prizes
D. Year with the most sightings

Answer:

the answer is D

Explanation:

Because B and C wouldn't make sence because there are no prizes and travel is important in the story but not as important as sightings so it's not A wich makes it D

WILL GIVE BRAINLYIST DUE IN 2 HOURS
Can someone write me a 5 paragraph essay of why we should get vaccinated.
Please do not write random answers i will report you

1- Introduction
2- Body/ reasoning
3- Body/ reasoning
4- Body/ reasoning
5- Conclusion

Can someone tell me if these are right .

Which details from Julius Caesar support the inference that Brutus had noble motives when he killed Caesar?

Select the two correct answers.


"Antony: All the conspirators, save only he, did that they did in envy of Caesar."

"Brutus: Good reasons must of force give place to better."

"Brutus: O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs."

"Brutus: Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?"

Should animals be used for research?
Make a stance on whether you agree or disagree. Then use the internet to find evidence to support your stance. You should use at least THREE different websites for your evidence. As you find evidence, create a T-chart to record your evidence. REMEMBER to include the name of the article.

Question 1
Part A

What is a central idea in Roosevelt's "Address to Congress Requesting a Declaration of War"?


A. The United States is in negotiations with the Japanese but will declare war if they fail to continue communications.


B. The United States will need the support of its allies to be successful at war with Japan.


C. The United States should declare war with Japan due to a series of attacks in other parts of the world over a period of months.


D. The United States is already at war with the Japanese, since they attacked without provocation.

Part B

How does Roosevelt develop the central idea cited in Part A?


A. Roosevelt explains the tone of negotiations with Japan over a period of several months has been positive.

B. Roosevelt lists Japanese attacks and is careful to mention that he is still negotiating to avoid war.

C. Roosevelt describes recent attacks on the United States and in the Pacific that prove the Japanese wants to engage in war.

D. Roosevelt provides a history of Japanese aggression toward other countries throughout history.

According to the rules of Standard English, which sentences reflect correct verb usage? (Select all that apply.)

He laid down after the game for a nap.
You have a fever and should lie down.
The decorations loaned an air of celebration to the cafeteria.
The team's morale was effected after the loss.
Thank you for lending me your notebook; may I also borrow a pen?
Please sit your books on the shelf, and then take out a pen for a quiz.

HELP ME PLEASE Name two systems and for each one list two social factors that have caused those systems to evolve. Discuss your answers with a partner.

Read the lines from Julius Caesar in Act IV .

There is my dagger. And here a heart richer than gold.

What does Cassius mean when he states, "And here a heart richer than gold"?


Many people have tried unsuccessfully to bribe me.

I am a very loyal and honorable man.

Many people would pay money to defeat me.

I love you more than anyone else does.

A hundred miles of landscape spread before me like a fan

This is an example of: Simile or Metaphor

Who's really excited for My Hero Academia Season 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rudolf and Milena are arguing at lunch about reading quickly. Rudolf mentions that the faster you read, the better the reader you are. Milena disagrees. Explain in two or three sentences ideas from this lesson that will help resolve the argument.


HELP ASAP will give brainliest to the first answer

Which of these titles is probably related to the story's theme?
A. The Leopard Spring
B. Lions and Leopards
C. Leopards Jumping
D. A Leopard's Story

Write a plan for your presentation that explains the steps
you'll take to convince your town representatives to hold
a diversity day celebration.


Someone help meee!^ don’t give me the sample response!

Scattered across the seascape are islands with names like Lizard Island, Pumpkin Island, and Daydream Island.

What is the function of the preposition used in the sentence?

a
The preposition shows direction.

b
The preposition shows location.

c
The preposition shows time.

d
The preposition shows when.

Read the passage. Which sentence uses an emotional appeal?

How would the plot most likely be different if the Selenites were portrayed as being more like humans?

A. Mr. Bedford would be more inclined to communicate with the Selenites rather than fight.
B. Mr. Bedford and Mr. Cavor would not be interested in leaving the moon.
C. Mr. Bedford and Mr. Cavor would be forced to fight an enemy with equal strength and more intellect than themselves.
D. Mr. Bedford would view the Selenites as fierce fighters.

HELP PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE



(MC)
I MET a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert ... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage [face] lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which still survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Which of the following would be an additional example of situational irony?

(10 points)

A. Learning the traveler did not expect to see a broken statue in the desert

B. Learning the traveler found more ruins

C. Learning the king expected his statue to crumble

D. Learning the king knew he would be forgotten as time passed

This is a question on ReadWorks that is an explanation question. Anyone who has had this question please help me?
- What might be something that the grown-ups in Anna's family struggle with that it's younger members do not? Before answering, think about some of the struggles faced by grown-ups who cannot read well. When you answer, be sure to provide evidence from both texts.

The author of the CON article has an opinion about standing during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Which sentence from the CON article shows this?

A) Behind my desk are pictures of more than 20 African-American men, women and children.
B) These words are from our Pledge of Allegiance.
C) Several African-American men had been killed by the police.
D) Until America does better, I will not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Read the two passages.


Passage 1


Its stunning natural scenery makes the Great Barrier Reef a popular tourist destination. About two million people visit the reef each year. Most of those visitors are domestic tourists. This is largely due to the fact that Australia is so far away from most places. There are lots of different ways to experience the Great Barrier Reef. Visitors can go diving, fishing, swimming, and enjoy water sports. Some people choose to tour the reef by airplane or helicopter, and others may tour the reef by boat. Tourists can take in the spectacular scenery from a small dinghy or a grand superyacht. There are even glass-bottomed boats that let passengers view the underwater wildlife and scenery. Adventurous visitors may seek out one of the handful of havens where they can swim with wild dolphins. One of the major appeals of these activities is that most of them do not require special training or expensive equipment. There is no one way for people to experience the reef. Regardless of the activities people choose, they encounter some of the most stunning maritime scenery on the planet.


Passage 2


On our visit to the Great Barrier Reef this last summer, we discovered how stunning this natural wonder is. We weren't alone. Thousands of tourists joined us to take in the wonders that the reef offers. Though we were among thousands, many people, like us, were from Australia. It makes sense I guess, as Australia is quite isolated and harder to travel to. We just felt lucky to experience this amazing reef alongside other Australians and people from all over the world. There were so many activities to choose from. We decided to go snorkeling. We also took a ride in a glass-bottomed boat. We saw so many fish on that boat trip, and we even saw a giant stingray! After a long day at the beach and out on the water, we heard what some other tourists had experienced during the day. There was one thing we agreed on: the Great Barrier Reef offered some of the most incredible underwater scenery any of us had ever seen.


What information does the reader learn from Passage 1 that is not included in Passage 2?

1 The reader learns about a larger variety of activities people can do to experience the reef.

2 The reader learns about a tourist's point of view while visiting the reef and what made it special.

3 The reader learns about how glass-bottomed boats were made and why they are exciting for tourists.

4 The reader learns about which activities were enjoyable for tourists and which should be avoided.

Help me make this sound more advanced. Will give brainliest to the best one :)
I believe it is best if Charlie advocates for reducing speeds when there are whales. As said, lowering speeds would make it easier for boats to avoid whales and hopefully make strikes less harmful if they do occur. Given that whales don’t always stay in the same place, it does not matter if we expand our shipping lanes. Because at any time, the same thing could occur.

Which evidence is most relevant to Nixon's claim that his spending plans are superior to Kennedy's?

A. "I believe . . . that his program would lead to the stagnation of the motive power that we need in this country to get progress."

B. "I know Senator Kennedy feels as deeply about these problems as I do, but our disagreement is not about the goals for America but only about the means to reach those goals."

C. "Let us understand throughout this campaign that his motives and mine are sincere."


D. "Now, when we look at these programs, might I suggest that in evaluating them we often have a tendency to say that the test of a program is how much you're spending."



PLEASE HELP!!

Read the sentence.
Jack is making plans to travel.
Which revisions best explain where Jack wants to go?
Select the two correct answers.
After saving his money for years, Jack is making plans to travel as soon as possible.
Jack is making plans to travel this summer to his favorite three places in the state.
Jack is sitting at the computer in his room and making plans to travel.
It has been his dream to visit Paris, France, so Jack is making plans to travel there.

Select the prepositional phrase.
1. On the beaches
2. Sunniest days
3. Taking photographs
4. Who take photos

Which sentence correctly uses punctuation to separate coordinating adjectives?

Sam won the award for her witty, poignant play.

Sam won the award for her witty poignant, play.

Sam won the award for her witty poignant play.

Sam, won the award for her witty, poignant, play.

Think about the climax of your story. Describe the choice the protagonist makes to change the course of the conflict.
(This is for Serafina and the black cloak) Please actually answer I don't know what to write!!!

My creative writing teacher wants us to do a rambling autobiography, i'm not really good at talking about myself so could you guys just list a couple things to include?

Which sentence is written in the passive voice?

A. Yesterday, the student wrote a paper during class about the effects of recycling in public schools.
B. The paper about the effects of recycling in public schools was written by the student yesterday during class.
C. The student wrote an essay during class yesterday about the effects of recycling in public schools.
D. Yesterday during class, the student wrote a paper about the effects of recycling in public schools.

Good Afternoon Everyone!!
Question of The Day: What Scary Movies do you like to watch?
I like to watch the Chucky Movies he isnt even that scary tbh!

A Teacher’s Defense to Homework:
1. Who is the intended audience of the article? Why did the author write the article?
2. In paragraph 3 , the author says she uses homework to “supplement” the notes she gives in class. What does supplement mean in this opinion piece? Use context clues and a dictionary to help you decide. Then tell why the author thinks it necessary to supplement her notes with homework.
3. How does the author strengthen her argument in paragraphs 5 and 6?
4. Why does the author say there is room for compromise in paragraph 7?
5. At what age does the author say homework becomes more important, and how does she provide evidence to support her claim?