From Bacon to Pickles

Select the paragraph from the article that suggests that unusual Valentine's Day gifts are growing in popularity.

• About 35 percent of participants in an Offers.com survey said chocolate, candy or other food treats were their most-wanted gift.

• This year, they added Bacon Jerky Roses. It's a $79 gift of a dozen dark chocolate-dipped maple candied bacon jerky roses. Last week, there was so much interest that these bouquets were back- ordered.

• Candy bouquets are also popular. Walmart has several candy bouquet options including a Skittles Candy Bouquet, Hershey's and M&M's for $18.98. There are additional bouquets online like a Reese's Extravaganza Bouquet, which includes 36 peanut butter cups for $44.99. Amazon has options, too.

• Perhaps the strangest option? Boston-based Grillo's Pickles posted directions on how to make a pickle bouquet. You can put one together by buying a few varieties of the brand's pickles sold at retailers across the country, including participating Target stores, plus wooden skewers and a vase or tissue paper. The bouquets are available to purchase online in the greater Boston area.

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Read the inference below.

Americans are willing to be creative with their Valentine's Day gifts.

Which selection from the article provides the BEST support to the statement above?

• Roses continue to be one of the top-selling Valentine's Day gifts. However, other bouquets are gaining in popularity.

• U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of about $162 on Valentine's gifts and meals this year.

• Print and cut out the custom bouquet wrapping square of your choice – available with sayings like "my love for you is never ending" – roll up the cone and tape before filling with breadsticks.

• His company is based in Newport Beach, California. Valentine's Day is its busiest time of the year.

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Read the paragraph from the article.

Candy bouquets are also popular. Walmart has several candy bouquet options including a Skittles Candy Bouquet, Hershey's and M&M's for $18.98. There are additional bouquets online like a Reese's Extravaganza Bouquet, which includes 36 peanut butter cups for $44.99. Amazon has options, too.

How does this paragraph contribute to the development of the main ideas of the article?

• It demonstrates that even traditional Valentine's Day gifts are being turned into unique bouquets.

• It shows why candy and flowers are less popular Valentine's Day gifts this year.

• It lists the names of all the popular candies that people like to buy on Valentine's Day.

• It describes how the desire for unusual Valentine's Day gifts is hurting the candy industry.

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Read the selection.

U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of about $162 on Valentine's gifts and meals this year. That's up $18 from last year, according to the National Retail Federation's annual holiday survey. Total spending is forecast at a record $20.7 billion, a 6 percent increase over last year.

What does this selection show that other paragraphs do not?

• It shows that consumers are letting go of typical Valentine's Day traditions.

• It shows that unusual Valentine's Day gifts have made less people want candy and flowers.

• It shows that unusual Valentine's Day gifts are usually more expensive than classics like candy or roses.

• It shows just how much money consumers are willing to spend on Valentine's Day overall.

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What would your perfect bouquet look like?

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"They want to be unique and give an intriguing gift..." Another word for intriguing would be ____________.

• appealling

• boring

• silly

• unappealling

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