1930s sports

If you are talking about sports in the United States
during this time, sports was a very big deal in those days, just as it is today. 
However, the hierarchy of what sports were big deals back then was a bit different than
it is today.

First of all, baseball still ruled the US
sports scene.  You have to remember that in these days, baseball was segregated so there
were the white leagues (what we now call the Major Leagues) and there was the Negro
League.)

Second, college football was much, much bigger
than the NFL during those days.  The NFL did exist, but college football was way more
popular.

Third, basketball was really not very popular as a
spectator sport in those days.  The NCAA tournament, which is such a big thing now, was
not even created until 1939.  The NBA did not exist yet
either.

Finally, boxing was a much bigger deal in those
days, as was horse racing.

What does the death of Curly teach Buck in The Call of the Wild?

When Curly dies, Buck gets his second important lesson in
how to survive in this wilder environment that he has been put
in.

When Curly dies, it is because she was knocked off her
feet.  Once she was down, all the dogs of the pack jumped on her and she was soon
dead.

So what Buck learns from that is a pretty obvious
lesson, right?  That dog died when she got knocked down, so don't get
knocked off your feet when you are in a
fight.

This lesson will come in handy later,
especially when Buck fights Spitz for control of the team.

What happened to Daisy Mae?

Daisy Mae is Sonny's pet cat. Sonny lets her out of the
house one night, hears screeching tires, and later finds out that someone has run over
the cat and killed her. Elsie brings the cat's body into the house. She is all bloody,
with broken bones. Sonny buries her in a shoe box in the back yard. Later, he realizes
that the same people who had shot at his dad and put the bullet hole in the window and
wall of the Hickham's house were probably the same people who had purposefully run over
and killed Daisy Mae. Sonny's friends vow to help him find out who did this to poor
Daisy Mae, but they get caught up in the excitement of the science fair in Bluefield and
forget about the incident for awhile.

In Tale of Two Cities Book II reflect on Darnay's decision to go to Fance. Does it seem believable?Is he fully aware of the danger he is in ?

This part of the novel comes in Chapter 24 in Book II,
entitled "Drawn to the Loadstone Rock". Darnay receives a letter which is actually for
him in his former identity as being the Evremonde heir. This letter narrates the
desperate position that his servant, Gabelle, is in, after following his orders. He is
trapped in prison and likely to be executed for his upper-class associations. Gabelle
writes:

For
the love of Heaven, of justice, of generosity, of the honour of your noble name, I
supplicate you, Monsieur heretofore the Marquis, to succour and release me. My fault is,
that I have been true to you. Oh Monsieur heretofore the Marquis, I pray you be you true
to me!

These words of a
servant whose only crime was "fidelity" to himself and his family stirs Darnay into
remembrance of how he left France suddenly without tidying up all the loose
ends:

He knew
he ought to have systematically worked it out and supervised it, and that he had meant
to do it, and that it had never been
done.

Darnay therefore feels
a huge amount of guilt at the imprisonment of his servant, who he feels responsible for.
The text continues to say that he is well aware that the property of nobles in France
was being confiscated and destroyed and "there very names were blotting out", and so it
appears he is well aware of the danger. However, he goes on to reason, he himself is not
responsible for any oppression or cruely. Indeed, Gabelle was looking after the estate
with explicit written instructions to help the people as much as possible. Dickens
concludes:

readability="7">

This favoured the desperate resolution that
Charles Darnay had begun to make, that he would go to
Paris.

Thus Darnay does seem
to be aware of the danger, however, one must ask why the resolution he makes to go to
Paris is described as "desperate" - is Darnay slightly naive in believing that, even
though he had good intentions, he will not be in trouble because of his noble descent?
Or is he the kind of man that thinks so well of everyone else that he could not
contemplate such injustice? This part of the story does show what kind of a man Darnay
is: good, honourable and seeking to help others, even at risk to his own
life.

In Chapter 2, how does Harper Lee use the school setting to give the reader important exposition about Southern culture?

Lee cleverly uses the character of Miss Caroline as an outsider's perspective to show readers a full picture of Maycomb, and through Maycomb, Southern culture.  Seeing Miss Caroline interact with the kids is like looking through a television or at a picture.  Her misunderstandings help Scout as narrator to better explain her world.

For example, Miss Caroline tries hard to discipline the Ewell boy and to bring him in as a part of the class.  This allows Scout to explain that the Ewell's don't go to school and that the school accepts this.  She also explains the nature of the Ewell family.  Readers understand that part of the Southern culture includes both poverty and ignorance, people trapped into past behaviors who are unwilling to expand their horizons and change their ways.  The situation with Walter Cunningham shows also demonstrates the past.  Walter is a victim of poverty.  Walter's father uses the barter system, which is accepted by the town members, in order to pay his bills.  This situation also demonstrates Southern pride.  Walter is proud and honest.  He can not pay back the quarter Miss Caroline tries to lend him and so refuses to accept it.

Overall, Miss Caroline is pitied by the children because she doesn't understand the culture of Maycomb - which proves how important culture and tradition are in Southern communities.

Why does Rufus like both Dana and Alice in "Kindred"?

Well, on the level of plot and symbolism, Rufus likes them both because they are related. This gives Dana a direct stake in what's happening in her past (rather than just being a sort of confused spectator).  Physically, they look similar, so it is fair to say that Rufus has a type. 

On a deeper emotional level, he likes both of them for some of the same reasons he gets angry at them at times: because there is something deep in their hearts and minds that challenges him, that makes him want to be, in the words of a contemporary movie, a better man, and something that he wants to conquer and possess.

What are some facts about No Child Left behind? & the information of it? How long ago Did it start?

No Child Left Behind was establishing in response to
parents concerns about the education system.  It correlates with IDEA which addresses
the laws for special education.  The idea behind NCLB was that American teachers would
be held accountable for student’s scores.  Every student was expected to score at a 100%
after a five year period.

Each year the scores that were
expected from students were raised.  In the beginning a school system may have oly had
to have 60% pass the End of grade and End of Course tests.  By the fifth year all
students were expected to have passed.

Even students with
low IQ's were suddenly being tested on the same material as the general education
students.  Their passing is also relative to accountability.  The changes required
students receiving special education to be taught grade level material regardless of
their cognitive ability.  In addition, if they had to learn basic skills they were to be
taught them.

It all sounded real good except, try teaching
a child who has the intelligence of a seven year old and can not add and subtract
algebra.