An Excerpt from “Optimism”
by Helen Keller

1 Could we choose our environment, and were desire in human undertakings synonymous with
endowment, all men would, I suppose, be optimists. Certainly most of us regard happiness as
the proper end of all earthly enterprise. The will to be happy animates alike the philosopher, the
prince and the chimney-sweep. No matter how dull, or how mean, or how wise a man is, he feels
that happiness is his indisputable right.
2 It is curious to observe what different ideals of happiness people cherish, and in what singular
places they look for this well-spring of their life. Many look for it in the hoarding of riches, some
in the pride of power, and others in the achievements of art and literature; a few seek it in the
exploration of their own minds, or in the search for knowledge.
3 Most people measure their happiness in terms of physical pleasure and material possession.
Could they win some visible goal which they have set on the horizon, how happy they would be!
Lacking this gift or that circumstance, they would be miserable. If happiness is to be so
measured, I who cannot hear or see have every reason to sit in a corner with folded hands and
weep. If I am happy in spite of my deprivations, if my happiness is so deep that it is a faith, so
thoughtful that it becomes a philosophy of life,—if, in short, I am an optimist, my testimony to
the creed of optimism is worth hearing....
4 Once I knew the depth where no hope was, and darkness lay on the face of all things. Then
love came and set my soul free. Once I knew only darkness and stillness. Now I know hope and
joy. Once I fretted and beat myself against the wall that shut me in. Now I rejoice in the
consciousness that I can think, act and attain heaven. My life was without past or future; death,
the pessimist would say, “a consummation devoutly to be wished.” But a little word from the
fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the
rapture of living. Night fled before the day of thought, and love and joy and hope came up in a
passion of obedience to knowledge. Can anyone who has escaped such captivity, who has felt
the thrill and glory of freedom, be a pessimist?
5 My early experience was thus a leap from bad to good. If I tried, I could not check the
momentum of my first leap out of the dark; to move breast forward is a habit learned suddenly
at that first moment of release and rush into the light. With the first word I used intelligently, I
learned to live, to think, to hope. Darkness cannot shut me in again. I have had a glimpse of the
shore, and can now live by the hope of reaching it.
6 So my optimism is no mild and unreasoning satisfaction. A poet once said I must be happy
because I did not see the bare, cold present, but lived in a beautiful dream. I do live in a
beautiful dream; but that dream is the actual, the present,—not cold, but warm; not bare, but
furnished with a thousand blessings. The very evil which the poet supposed would be a cruel


6) Read the last sentence from the text.
Only by contact with evil could I have learned to feel by contrast the beauty of truth and love and goodness.
Explain how Helen Keller develops this idea in the text. Use specific details to
support your answer.

Could we choose our environment, and were desire in human undertakings synonymous with

endowment, all men would, I suppose, be optimists. Certainly most of us regard happiness as

the proper end of all earthly enterprise. The will to be happy animates alike the philosopher, the

prince and the chimney-sweep. No matter how dull, or how mean, or how wise a man is, he feels

that happiness is his indisputable right.

2 It is curious to observe what different ideals of happiness people cherish, and in what singular

places they look for this well-spring of their life. Many look for it in the hoarding of riches, some

in the pride of power, and others in the achievements of art and literature; a few seek it in the

exploration of their own minds, or in the search for knowledge.

3 Most people measure their happiness in terms of physical pleasure and material possession.

Could they win some visible goal which they have set on the horizon, how happy they would be!

Lacking this gift or that circumstance, they would be miserable. If happiness is to be so

measured, I who cannot hear or see have every reason to sit in a corner with folded hands and

weep. If I am happy in spite of my deprivations, if my happiness is so deep that it is a faith, so

thoughtful that it becomes a philosophy of life,—if, in short, I am an optimist, my testimony to

the creed of optimism is worth hearing....

4 Once I knew the depth where no hope was, and darkness lay on the face of all things. Then

love came and set my soul free. Once I knew only darkness and stillness. Now I know hope and

joy. Once I fretted and beat myself against the wall that shut me in. Now I rejoice in the

consciousness that I can think, act and attain heaven. My life was without past or future; death,

the pessimist would say, “a consummation devoutly to be wished.” But a little word from the

fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the

rapture of living. Night fled before the day of thought, and love and joy and hope came up in a

passion of obedience to knowledge. Can anyone who has escaped such captivity, who has felt

the thrill and glory of freedom, be a pessimist?

5 My early experience was thus a leap from bad to good. If I tried, I could not check the

momentum of my first leap out of the dark; to move breast forward is a habit learned suddenly

at that first moment of release and rush into the light. With the first word I used intelligently, I

learned to live, to think, to hope. Darkness cannot shut me in again. I have had a glimpse of the

shore, and can now live by the hope of reaching it.

6 So my optimism is no mild and unreasoning satisfaction. A poet once said I must be happy

because I did not see the bare, cold present, but lived in a beautiful dream. I do live in a

beautiful dream; but that dream is the actual, the present,—not cold, but warm; not bare, but

furnished with a thousand blessings. The very evil which the poet supposed would be a cruel

6) Read the last sentence from the text.

Only by contact with evil could I have learned to feel by contrast the beauty of truth and love and goodness.

Explain how Helen Keller develops this idea in the text. Use specific details to

support your answer.

Why advice does Mrs. Fitzgerald offers to rashad. In all American boy?

In Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl, how does Anne make a connection between her mother and Mrs. Van Daan?
O She wonders whether she will be like her mother or more like Mrs. Van Daan when she is a mother.
O She wishes that her mother and Mrs. Van Daan were more alike.
She describes both women as ineffective mothers.
She complains that both women are flirtatious.

do u believe that people will be bullied for wearing a mask? why or why not?

What is Dialogic Reading

1.10 write a summary. I need a summary written for this. it's robots on earth by Jerry west ( please help I need this asap)​

1. What is imperialism and what does it have to do with the literature we
sometimes study?

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Midterm
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Antonio is a web content manager who has experience publishing his own blog. What company might be inte
OA.
a hospital looking to digitalize their records
OB.
a retail store that wants its own app
C.
a large mortgage company that wants an online newsletter
D.
a laptop manufacturer that wants to test new hardware
Reset
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Correct the errors.I have a five years old daughter and a three years old son

write down any 10 negative aspects of dashain in points.
​

Read the choices below. Which ones are correct when thinking about spelling? You may choose more than one answer.

Some words are spelled with letters that you can't hear.
It is not important to remember silent letters.
To spell words with silent letters you must learn and remember what letters are silent.
Silent letters do not make a sound.

Which verb is in the future tense?

a.
will dream

b.
dreams

c.
dreamed

d.
have dreamt

Plsssss help me assp

IDENTIFY THE SENTENCE THAT USES A LINKING VERB CORRECTLY.

A) He looks guilty, but I’m sure he’s not.

B) He looks out the window.

C) He looks for the lost wallet.

D) He looks up the phone number and then makes a call.

She lives in Riyadh ( Make yes/no question)

write a diary entry about meeting up with a long time friend​

Trainee Accountants: Accountants who are ___________ for professional examinations
A. working
B. researching
C. hiring
D.studying

Paaa hellppp pooo thankyou​

What option describes the purpose of using headings in text?

Read each sentence. Write Pr on the line if the verb is in the present tense. Ps if it is in the past tense, and Ft if it is in the future tense.

1. Garry used his points to purchase a cup of coffee
2. Kian and Leo draft their project proposal
3. Mateo asked Maura about her plans
4. Our employees deserve better pay
5. Paula works on a new invention
6. Rona kept the secrets to herself
7. The store will close very early today
8. The young children shall understand more when they grow up
9. Uncle Tony likes fresh fruits
10. We will perform onstage next week
Gonna mark brainliest if all of your answers are correct!​

I need help on this prompt please.

Which word correctly completes the sentence below?
Our training in scuba safety and buddy breathing has been
enough that it could qualify for additional certification.
Rigor
Rigorous
Rigorously
Rigorousness

considering the implications of a decision includes:

grandma always tell's stories​

Blue holes are caves that are (1) underwater / high up in the mountains. They were formed millions of years ago when (2) huge earthquakes happened / the land above them fell in and water entered the space. Blue holes are located on land or in the sea. Many of them are very deep and the water inside the holes is usually very (3) rough / calm. Although exploring blue holes is dangerous, many scientists still risk their lives to dive into them. They think that blue holes can tell us a lot about (4) ancient life forms / how the oceans were formed.

Define the form of language used in the following sentence:
The dolly grip is sick today, and the gaffer is late for the
final shoot, so we're going to have to take 10 until we have
replacements.
A. Slang
B. Jargon
C. Euphemism
D. None of the above

Helppppppp asappppppp !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which sentence uses coordinating adjectives correctly?

A. The difficult, practice test made me study.

B. The big, scary bear ignored us and walked by.

C. The shallow babbling creek hurried past us.

D. The police rookie officer flashed her badge​

the different between chef and restaurant​

What type of noun is the word gadgets?
A.proper noun
B.common noun
C.abstract noun
D.collective noun

heyy guys!!

Just to put a smile on people's faces again

This is my other dog Loki and its a boy
He's on the left black and while

And I know brainly is for school ok ​