From what paradox did the Salem tragedy develop according to Act 1 of The Crucible?

A paradox is,

"an assertion or sentiment seemingly contradictory, or opposed to common sense; that which in appearance or terms is absurd, but yet may be true in fact."

The paradox in Act I  stems from the action of the girls at the beginning of the play.  They were in fact in the woods with Tituba, and Abigail did drink a charm, blood, to inflict a curse on Elizabeth Proctor.  The accusation of witchcraft is true against Abigail and Tituba, but it is used by both of them to shift responsibility away from themselves and accuse other people, innocent people.

The absurdity lies in the fact that Tituba and Abigail and the other girls get away with their acts of witchcraft. While innocent people are punished because of false accusations. 

They start the witchcraft hysteria by pointing fingers at innocent people in the town who have not committed acts of witchcraft.  After they begin accusing, and people begin confessing, to save their lives, the witchcraft hysteria takes on a life of its own.  It is no longer necessary for the accusation to be true, the accusation alone is enough.

The truth is filtered through the paradox so it is defined by perception.  The truth is whatever Abigail and the girls want it to be, they create it to suit their needs.  This behavior flies in the face of common sense, especially when the whole town becomes involved in it.  Other people use the witchcraft hysteria as a way to exact vengeance on their neighbors.   

divide and write the quotient as a mixed number: 16/5 i don't get it.

A fraction is basically a division problem.  Think about 1/4.  This fraction represents 1 whole divided into 4 pieces.

So, in this problem, the first step is to divide 16 by 5.  It will go in 3 times, with a remainder of 1.

The problem says the answer must be in the form of a mixed number -- that is, a whole number and a fraction.

The remainder in division can be expressed as a fraction:  remainder/divisor.   In this case, the remainder is 1/5.

So, the answer is 3 1/5.

Why does Jing-Mei Woo's mother think she can become a prodigy?

Jing Mei's mother thinks she can become a prodigy because she has been watching clips of Shirley Temple, a young girl who was a famous actress well known for her singing and dancing abilities.  She believes that because Shirley Temple can be successful, her own girl, Jing Mei, must be able to as well.  She even goes so far as to cut her hair in a bob-cut, making it look terrible, just to have her daughter resemble the famous actress.  Later, she forces Jing-mei into a recital where she is extremely embarrassed due to her lack of skill.

Jing Mei's mother believes that Jing Mei can "be best anything", and compares her to her daughter's friend who has random skills and abilities, such as spelling, for example.  Later, she tells her daughter that this friend is "only best tricky", implying that trickery and luck have as much to do with being a prodigy as do true skill and talent.  She truly believes that with a lot of practice and dedication, Jing Mei can out perform her friends and be a real prodigy.

In Much Ado About Nothing, compare Benedick's two soliloquies in Act II Scene 3. Do they reveal a change in consciousness?

Benedick's first soliloquoy consists of two main parts -- the humorous ridicule of Claudio's change from soldier to lover, and the explanation of how he, Benedick, is immune to the blandishments of love.   Benedick has, thus far, never found a woman to move him to love:

One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace.  Rich she shall be, that's certain; wise, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an  angel; of good discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what colour it please God.

At this point in the scene Benedick thinks of love (and women) only in terms of the general.  He thinks of women in terms of desired attributes only.  But when faced with the prospect of Beatrice having affections for him, he changes dramatically. 

They say the lady is fair—'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous—'tis so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me—by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her.

Two things occur here -- he realizes others criticize his lack of love, and also that a real, specific woman (he thinks) loves him.  This makes love specific rather than general, and therefore more obtainable to him.

In "Everyday Use," explain how Mama is or is not a dynamic character.

Mama is a dynamic character, and because of the change in her, Maggie undergoes a significant change, as well. At the end of the story, Mama sees and understands both of her daughters clearly. She recognizes Dee for the selfish, hateful person she is, and she recognizes the depth of Maggie's loving nature, despite the suffering she has endured in her young life. Mama also understands clearly that Maggie has spent her entire life deferring to her smarter, more attractive, and quite aggressive sister:

When I looked at [Maggie] like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I'm in church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout. I did some.thing I never done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's [Dee's] hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap. Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open.

Mama's choosing Maggie's feelings over Dee's represents an important change in her character. Maggie responds to this act of love, the recognition of her own value in her mother's eyes, by smiling "a real smile."

In The Canterbury Tales, how does the Pardoner describe his own character and morals in the Prologue to his tale?

"Lordynges," quod he, "in chirches whan I preche, 
I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche,
And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle,
 For I kan al by rote that I telle.
 My theme is alwey oon and evere was -
 'Radix malorum est Cupiditas.'

These are the Pardoner's opening words. When he preaches in churches, he cultivates a certain way of speaking, a "hauteyn speche". His voice rings out roundly like a bell does - and he knows everything "by rote" that he says. He only has one theme, and he's only ever had one: "Radix malorum est Cupiditas", or, in English "Greed is the root of all evil".

The problem is that the Pardoner himself is greedy, and he has no desire to help his congregation but instead simply wants to make money.

For myn entente is nat but for to wynne,
 And no thyng for correccioun of synne.

His "entente" (intention) is only to "wynne" (make profit) and his intention has nothing to do with the correction of sin. So the Pardoner's morals are entirely separate to those of his sermon - entirely opposite, even. He does not practice what he preaches.

Thus kan I preche agayn that same vice
 Which that I use, and that is avarice.

He preaches against the same vice which he himself has.

For though myself be a ful vicious man,
 A moral tale yet I you telle kan.

The Pardoner has no morals, and his character is "vicious" (fully vicious!). Yet here's the paradox - he can still ventriloquise a morally instructive story.

Why do Eliezer and the other prisoners respond so emotionally to the hanging of the child? Were the SS "more preoccupied, more disturbed" than usual?

The child is hanged for allegedly being part of the Resistance. This child is one who people really love. Besides the fact that it is a beloved child being hung, the child dies a very slow death. When he is hung, his neck does not break because he is not heavy enough to cause the force of the fall to sever his spinal column. If this had happened, death would have come quickly. Since his spinal column is in tact, he must die from asphyxiation. This makes his death slow and painful and the men who are forced to watch begin to cry. Someone asks "Where is God"? A voice from inside Eliezer tells him "God is on the gallows".