By explaining the concept of being an “also-ran,” the author describes someone who enjoys participating in a contest even though he or she does not win. The quotation from paragraph 9 expresses the author's positive viewpoint of “also-rans” who “finish third in a three-horse race.
Answer:
9. extremely wet
10. less affordable
Explanation:
9. The statement says it was extremely wet yesterday
10. By saying last year's prices were more affordable than this year's, that would imply that the present is the opposite of the past. The opposite of more is less, so it would be less affordable.
Answer:
the writer should take a tone of we to create an atmosphere of commonness and gain their interest
