Answer:
No. It would be <em>I have been sick</em>. For example, "I have been sick for the past 2 weeks."
The first sentence is correct.
Answer:
Primarily, the specific notes talking about similarities and differences.
Explanation:
The topic sentence points out the the text will talk about 'alike'nesses and 'differences,' both of which are common in compare and contrast. This is further hammered home by the text which, well, compares and contrasts. If a text mentions similarities and differences, its likely in a compare and contrast structure.
