Read: "The old bus wheezed up the hill and coughed gray smoke at every bend." What does the word "wheezed" tell the reader about the bus?

Read: "Dad set the plate down. 'Eat,' he said, and turned back to the sink without looking up." The one-word order "Eat" and the phrase "without looking up" create a tone that is:

Read: "After the last race, the runners walked to the bus." Which replacement for "walked" would make the runners seem worn out?

Read: "Wind pushed at the shutters all night, testing every latch like a stranger looking for a way in." What does the comparison say about the wind?

The coach wrote that Devon was ___ about arriving early, and she meant the word as praise. Which word fits that positive feeling?

Read: "Ana climbed the steps, set her notes on the stand, and ___ the rail before she spoke." Which word most shows that Ana is nervous?

Read: "By June the pond was a cracked plate, and the frogs had gone." What does "a cracked plate" mean about the pond?

Read: "Marcus demanded a second helping." Which replacement for "demanded" would make Marcus sound polite?

Read: "The letter sat unopened on the table for a week." What would change if "sat" became "waited"?

Read: "Jonah snapped the book shut and left." Which replacement for "snapped" would keep the sharp, angry feeling of the sentence?

Read: "For six days the radio said nothing. On the seventh it crackled: 'We hear you.' Nadia laughed out loud." The words "said nothing" and then "laughed out loud" mark a shift from:

A reporter wrote that a "mob" filled the square instead of writing that a "crowd" filled it. What does "mob" add beyond the plain meaning?

Read: "'Leave the bags,' the guide said. 'Now. The tide is already at the steps.'" The words "Now" and "already" create a tone that is:

Read: "Tomas read the notice, folded it, and slid it into his pocket. 'That's that,' he said, and picked up his tools." The words "That's that" and picking up the tools create a tone that is:

Read: "Grandma studied the new neighbor's gift a long moment before taking it. 'Kind of you,' she said, and set it on the porch, unopened." The words "studied" and "unopened" create a tone that is:

Read: "Every plank of the boat was fitted so close that the seams disappeared. Whoever built her had known exactly what she would meet at sea." The tone toward the builder is:

Read: "Practice was a hallway with no doors: same drill, same whistle, same gray light." What does the comparison say about practice?

Read: "The new rules landed on the class like a wet towel." What does the comparison say about the rules?

Read: "Ellis pocketed the last roll before the others sat down." What does "pocketed" suggest that "took" would not?

Read: "The puppy moved across the kitchen floor." Which replacement for "moved" would make the sentence playful?