Tag: private tutors

Ahhh, the GRE!  The first step needed to get going on your graduate degree. GRE stands Graduation Record Examination and can be an unpleasant surprise if you are not familiar with it and without a few GRE study tips, it can be even more difficult.

What is on the GRE?

The GRE consists of three subject areas:

• Verbal Reasoning
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Analytical Writing

Before hitting the books, take a little bit of time to get organized and prepared. Getting all the information you can about what is on the test and having your study tools available will make it easier to study. Plan on spending time preparing if you have certain goals for how well you do.  For most people, the GRE is a test that take preparation.

Here are Some GRE Study Tips to Help You Ace Your Exam:

Start GRE Prep as Soon as Possible

We all know how students tend to procrastinate, but you don’t want to be a slave to this nasty habit when preparing for your GRE. Start early. Get informed and gather all the sources for your preparation. Don’t waste your time and think how you will have enough time to prepare it if you start tomorrow. Those who say this usually don’t see the “tomorrow” because they come up with more important things to do. Don’t be lazy. You want to score well on this test, and you want it to be the best you can reasonably do.

This test is harder than you think. There are different areas you will need to master before taking the exam, and we are quite sure you don’t remember all that algebra you took years ago! It took you years to study it, don’t expect you can revisit it and memorize it in a couple of days.  Yes, there are those that CAN do that but are you one of them?

Depending on your major, you will probably have some very familiar subjects to cover and some areas you didn’t have a chance to get in touch with since high school. IT and engineers don’t cover alot of social sciences, depending upon the school they attend as one example. When preparing for a GRE test you have to cover a wide spectrum of topics and subjects.  So review the various topics that are on the GRE and determine which areas need extra attention.

Vocabulary and language you use every day is not subjects that you will find on the GRE. You will come across some expressions and words you and your buddies are not familiar with and definitely don’t use daily. Do you get the picture now?  Time flies, and you need to start prepping now.

How to Study for GRE Verbal 

Vocabulary is not a one-day-I-will-learn-it-all. It’s impossible to memorize all the words you come across during your GRE. If you start early and use tips and hacks for memorizing a new word, you will find it easy. It comes naturally for us to accept and integrate new words that we use daily. Selfie? This word was crazy new and strange, but now it’s well-known all over the world because you see it and hear it all around you. Do this with the words you need to build into your vocabulary. You need to make new words a part of your vocabulary just like milk and Oreo. Use flashcards, for example, or write words on memo-sticks and stick it all around. Make sure you set your eyes on those words often and we guarantee you will think of them more than you can imagine.

Be Thorough

When you learn new things, you want to learn them from scratch because the house has no purpose (and it doesn’t exist) if it has no foundation or roof. Begin at the beginning is and finish where the end is.  Think of the subject you are studying as a puzzle. To get the whole picture, you need to know all the pieces and put them in their place. This takes a lot of time. That is why you get so confused when you study for an exam the night before. All the information needs time to find a place in your head and settle down. Once you gave it some time, the puzzle will be complete, and you will be able to easily connect  different parts of the subjects and make conclusions.

Consider Each Subject as Important in Your Life

We cannot learn anything if we don’t want to. This is psychologically proven. You can spend hours and hours reading pages, and if you are not focused enough or interested enough, you won’t remember much. Our attention is the primary factor in memorizing things. This is why it’s so important to stay interested in the matter and to make the subject important to you (at least for this time period).  It will help you keep your eyes and brain concentrating on the subject .

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Use brain maps (google it), add some color to your note cards if you are more of a visual type, draw different shapes and make “plans” of the topics. Highlight the most important things and try to memorize them first, then slowly expand the “plan” and try to remember more things about every highlighted item. If you are more of a sequential person who likes doing things “how they are meant to be done”, take small steps and study little by little. Set daily study goals and divide topics by days. This will keep you motivated, and you will be more in touch with the time. The less you study now, the more you will have to do tomorrow.

Ask for Help or Get a GRE Tutor

If you find it difficult to organize, understand or you feel overwhelmed, don’t be ashamed. We always had help in schools, so why not now? Ask someone who already took the GRE test to share their experience and information you could find useful. Maybe they will share some tips with you and help you out.

Finding a private tutor is one of the best things you could invest in as well. Having a private tutor will help you organize better, stay on track of what you need to lear, and you will make better progress. Tutors can give you exams similar to GRE and they are always there to answer any question and make clear anything you don’t understand. They will help you out with any weak areas (many students find that a GRE math tutor makes all the difference in how well they do) and teach you how to study efficiently and economically.

Do Practice Tests Online

Check out the internet for online GRE samples and take them seriously. Try to take these exams and see what the real GRE will look like. This can help you in so many ways: you will see  how the test looks like, you will know what your weak spots are, and you will reduce the probability of surprise when the real exam comes. Many students have problems with anxiety and stress before taking an exam, and this reduces their concentration and performance. Seeing the exam before you take it will help you get to know the exam, and you won’t feel that nervous anymore.

Yes, we all have more electronic gadgets than we can possible use in one day let alone at one time.  And there are very few of us that can’t navigate around a keyboard.  However, when you are trying to study and learn a new topic your handwritten notes and study sheets are going to help you more than anything that you’ve typed.

For whatever reason, one of the best ways to learn how to study is by taking pen or pencil to paper and writing out anything and everything related to your coursework, text or exam.  There’s something about that “flow” as I call it that makes your brain absorb and store what you are working on as well as learning at the time.

So simply grab some paper, note cards, index cards and even sticky notes and use those to collect the main points or topics for whatever you are going to be writing or studying.  This extra effort even if your computer, phone or tablet are near at hand will benefit you more than you know and your grades will also reflect that as well.  And for those whose handwriting is tough, write it out once and then type it up into notes.  Or use a tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro  that comes with a stylus and can translate your handwriting into typed notes for you.  It’s a more expensive option but effective as well.

As we’ve said before, if you do this throughout the semester or year, you’ll be ready when exams or finals come around.  You won’t have to cram or stay up for all nighters (unless you want to of course…) trying to get prepped in time.

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Want to learn how to study?  Well, we can’t study 24-7.  It’s just not gonna work no matter how last minute you are or how under the gun you might be.  After a certain point in time your body and your brain or going to say “Enough”!  And they’ll stop processing, shut down and you are likely to be in a worse place for your exams, homework or projects than you are right now.

That’s why learning how to study and studying well is important to figure out.  Unfortunately, not the same things work foreveryone but we’ve come up with a ton of ideas and how to study tips that ought to help you figure out the ones that will assist you in reaching your academic goals.  And these tips aren’t just for homework or a test.  You can use them for just about anything you study as well as exam and studying for entrance exams like the GRE, SAT, ACTs, GMATs and so much more.

So check out the different ideas we’ve come up with, use the ones you like, try a few others and let us know which work best.  Share your successes and ideas with us here and on Facebook or Twitter as well.

There’s nothing worse for a parent than to watch your child struggling in school. No matter what the situation or subject, we would all love to be able to ease their burden and resolve any problem that comes along. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way and there are times when we simply have to step aside and let them work through it. Sometimes the effort is on their own and sometimes with the assistance of a private tutor or teacher.

So what are some basic steps you can take to assist?

1 – Check in with the school or teachers that your child currently sees.

See if something is going on that they have noticed? Are there social issues? Or is it academic? Are new topics or studying methods being introduced? Like a detective, you want to see what has changed or is different that might be causing the impact on your child.

2 – Review grades and homework.

How consistent is the work and grades that you see for the last month or several months? If you notice any changes that you can pin point, now is the time to address them. Perhaps it is one course in which case certain topics might have been introduced that are not being fully understood by your son or daughter. If there’s a general downward trend then that takes additional digging to find out the cause of that issue. Are your child’s friends and acquaintances the same or have there been changes? Is there a change in free time usage? New sports, activities or work can have impacts as well.

Whatever the case, the burden falls on you to determine what has happened and what options exist.

3 – Talk, talk, talk

When dealing with teens this can become more difficult since they are not the most chatty of creatures but whatever age, it’s now time to start finding out from the source if there’s anything happening.

You might have to be subtle and wait for the best time to have this talk but it is critical if you want to help them to help themselves. Check in on what is going on, use any and all tactics to get them to share what is the latest with school and their classes.   Asking direct and specific questions can help you get the information out of them. Many times they are aware of what’s going on but at a loss as to what to do about it.

4 – Determine what are some options?

Once you have an idea of what is the root of the cause for the drop in grades you can start taking actions. It always feels better to take action! (At least I’ve found that to be true)

If it’s social pressures or other topics along that lines, you want to find the assistance to help cope with and resolve those types of issues.

If it’s academic, you can now create a game plan to help your child get back on the road to academic success.

5 – What assistance from your school is available?

Depending upon your perspective of your child’s school and district, you might want to again ask them for options and assistance. Many schools have tutoring or after school programs that can provide assistance to their students. Based upon what your child needs, this might be an avenue for exploration. Make sure that you check out these options in advance and see if there is a fit. You know your kid and what will work well for them.

6 – What outside tutoring or study skills assistance are there?

Depending upon what your child needs, you might want to explore private tutors or even private tutoring at home depending on the crazy schedules that we all are keeping these days! This option allows you to hone in on exactly what is needed and the tutor will provide focused programs designed to address exactly those areas.

Like PrivateTutoringAtHome.com offers, these types of tutors cover just about every subject you could think of from early education through graduate university studies. Best of all, you can find the right tutor in your area which makes it even more convenient.

Tutors provide individualized attention that fits a child’s learning style, and many tutors work to make the sessions “fun enough that the students actually want to be there,” says Fleming. The fun and games teach the student that learning can be a positive experience. Positive tutoring can help a child learn the material, get better grades, and even form a better attitude about school. Having a positive attitude about school and being interested in it really has a tremendous impact on the results that a child gets in school. Any assistance that you can provide will help insure your child is one of the students that thinks of their education in a positive light.

7 – Implement and monitor

Just because you started a plan for your child doesn’t mean you can rest easy. Now is when you have to help your child stay on track. In addition, monitoring and seeing if there are positive results is critical.

If your child has fallen behind, there will be a catch up period that might include additional struggles. Playing catch up is never fun and it’s frustrating for you to watch as a parent and for the child to go through. However, both of you will make it out the other side with a little bit of time, patience and focus.

Getting through school successfully is frequently a group effort. Parents, children, schools and various other resources like tutors all combine to help make it a successful educational process. By initiating the first steps today, you can insure that your child will continue to grow, learn and flourish and with an education, be successful later in life as well. And, after all, isn’t that what we each want for our kids? I know that I do!

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We’d love to hear your stories.

If you are considering hiring a private tutor for your child or if you need one, do not think that you are alone.  According to Dr. Sandi Ayaz, executive director of the National Tutoring Association, private tutoring in the U.S. alone has “exploded tenfold” over the past eight years. That is a tremendous growth increase!  The reasons for looking into private tutors are almost as many as there are kids.  Some parents hire tutors to help their children overcome academic obstacles, others contract with tutors to encourage and challenge their children in ways that might not be possible in a classroom setting, and still others are looking for tutors to fill in gaps or add to the knowledge their kids are getting in the classroom.

Whatever the objective of the tutoring may be, it’s important for parents and students to take the time to find and hire a tutor who will work well with the student’s learning style and personality.  Here are some great questions to help make sure that that you find a tutor that is right for you:

Questions to Ask Private Tutors Before Starting:

 1. What is your teaching style?

Students learn in a variety of styles and at different paces, which is why it’s impossible for teachers in schools  to structure their classroom lessons to match each individual student’s preferred learning style. The right private tutor, however, can adapt lessons to cater to your child’s strengths whether he is an auditory learner (learns best by listening), visual learner (learns best through sight) or a kinesthetic learner (learns best through experience). Before you hire a tutor, make sure to find out if he can structure lessons in a format that works with your child’s preferred learning style.  And if you don’t know your child’s learning style, check in with his teachers and current school for an assessment or update on that information.  It will be a huge help for both you and any tutor you finally work with.

2. What is your tutoring plan for working with my child?

While this is a pretty open ended question and is difficult for someone who has not yet met your child or even seen examples of their school work, the response will reveal the tutor’s thought process for diagnosing your child’s needs and creating a plan to achieve the desired results. The right tutor will have a strategy, and may even have specific methods, for identifying problem areas and understanding the child’s learning behavior. An effective tutor recognizes the importance of working with the student (and in some cases, the parents) to establish performance improvement goals that are both measurable and attainable.  Bottom line – open ended questions like this show the tutor’s comfort level and confidence with respect to their ability to work with your child.  Finding that out early on is critical.

3. Why do you tutor?

Successful tutoring is really about developing a productive learning relationship between any private tutor and their students. Those tutors who are most effective are passionate about teaching and are able to derive value from seeing their students succeed. While many tutors provide lessons and tutoring as a primary or supplemental source of income, the ideal tutor to find will take a vested interest in your child’s progress and have the patience and willingness to do whatever it takes to help your child succeed.  And when you find a tutor like that, you will recognize the difference and the student will also notice the results are measurable as well.

4. Do you have any private tutoring references, or have you worked with students in a similar situation as my child?

Ideally you would find a tutor that is able to provide references and referrals for you to contact.  But they are hard to come by for several reasons.  Not the least of which is that some students or families would prefer to keep their tutoring requirements private.  That’s where an online tutoring source like PrivateTutoringAtHome.com compile lesson ratings and written reviews from actual students who have previously worked with tutors. That allows you to read third-party reviews from parents and students who have worked with a tutor.  It makes it much easier for you to determine what you can expect from a tutor in terms of subject proficiency and personality.  And if you need a tutor, you don’t want to waste time on someone that doesn’t know the material you need to learn or has a different teaching style than will work for your child.  If you choose to hire a tutor on your own rather than through a reputable marketplace, you still want to make sure to ask for references.  Do realize that the reference you receive that way may not be a completely impartial source.

5. How can you help my child become an independent learner?

The most effective and valuable tutoring relationships will help the student become a more engaged, independent learner.  After all, isn’t that what we would all want for our kids?  Memorizing and mastering very specific topics or skills may yield some results, but it is ultimately a short-term solution to the student’s broader educational needs. While certain lessons may focus on a particularly troublesome topic, learning to understand and appreciate the learning process, theory and logic behind concepts will help your child overcome subsequent obstacles, avoid future frustration and flourish as a student.  Looking for your private tutors via our network which includes more than 75,000 active private tutors nationwide in subjects that range from math and science to test preparation and music is sure to offer you a wide range of tutors to help in whatever subject and via any learning style that you may be looking for.

So before you throw in the towel or continue to plow on alone, why not check out some of the private tutors at home that are available today?  You will be amazed at the results that you get!  And don’t forget to let us know how you do in the comments below.

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It is the dream of every parent to see their children excel in their studies. However, for some kids it can be tougher than for others. As we all know, children have different attention spans, learning abilities and willpower to learn and discover things. There are children who will study and excel on their own. On the other hand, there are also some who need to be pushed or assistance so that they can be where you want them to be.

As many of you know, mathematics is considered to be one of the most difficult subjects to comprehend. This is why it is recommended that you closely monitor how your child is doing in this particular subject. Because with math, more than any other topic, if you start slipping and getting behind, it is very difficult to catch up. Everything builds on previous topics and it can be very hard to get back on track.

With that in mind, here are some signs that will tell you that your child needs a math tutor:

• Slipping grades

This is most probably the easiest sign to spot. If you wish to figure out the math skills of your child, there is no better way to do it than looking at his report card. If your child has been getting straight C’s, D’s or worse, F, then it is about time that you think about hiring a tutor to guide and help him or her get back on track. For us, we’ve found that in our area, using a New Jersey math tutor has made sure that my son doesn’t slip any further. In fact, his grades are now moving upwards in math.

• Lack of enthusiasm in math

Oftentimes, children love to discover and learn new things. Since most of the children do not have a negative perception of math, they may get excited in learning how to count money, how to tell the time, how to subtract and much more. In the event that your child is not getting enthusiastic over this subject, that may be a bad signal for you.

• Increased frustration or anger on the topic

Oftentimes a child’s frustration and anger with the topic is just hiding the fact that they simply don’t understand what’s going on. So lashing out or saying things are “stupid” (how often have you heard that one?) is a cry for assistance and or showing that their learning in math has become derailed. For us a quick search for “math tutor NJ” gave us options that’s helped our 7^th grader move from a C grade to an A- at the moment.

These are some of the simple signals that you must take into consideration. In the event that you wish to dig deeper, the best thing that you can do is to talk to your child’s teacher. By doing so, you will be able to understand your child’s behavior when dealing with math. Since you are not able to be with your child inside the classroom, talking with the teacher is the best way to know how he is performing in school.

Finding a Math Tutor in NJ:

In the event that your child is losing interest in math or is having some problems understanding math, a math tutor can surely help. Once you have spotted these very obvious signs, it is best that you figure out what is causing all these issues. That might take some talking to teachers as well as your child to find out more information.  Additionally, it is also time for you to look for a tutor in NJ who can provide your child the guidance he needs.

The best way to find New Jersey tutors is to do your research. You can ask your friends or family for recommendations. It is also helpful if you can check out the reviews of the math tutors in your area. Keep in mind that you should continue monitoring your child’s progress to know if he is improving or not even if you have a tutor. And a good tutor that knows their subject will also be able to let you know how your child is progressing within a couple of sessions.

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If college is your goal, then your junior year of high school is going to be a critical one! This is THE year for getting prepped for review and then acceptance by colleges and universities nationwide.   Not only do you need to make sure that you have a plethora of great activities and other experiences to fill your application, you also have to complete the applications as well as take a battery of difference tests for admission. The two main tests for every college bound student are the ACTs and the SATs.

Interestingly enough there’s a rule of thumb that “the East and West coast schools value SAT scores more, while the Mid-West wants an ACT score.” While this generally holds true, here’s a break down on the similarities, differences and some other facts to help you determine whether you want to take both tests or not and how to do your ACT test and SAT test prep beforehand.

SUBJECTS TESTED

Like any student, a first question is usually, “What’s on the test?” The two test have similarities and some slight differences. The SAT only covers the three main subjects:

• Reading
• Math
• Writing

All three of these topics are mandatory.

The ACT test, on the other hand, Mtests you in Math, English, Reading, Science and Writing (if you choose to do this one). And yes, you read that correctly – if you CHOOSE to do the writing test portion. But note, and this is a very important note, some colleges and universities require the writing portion of the test be taken. So before opting out, make sure you know which schools will be receiving these test scores and compare that with their requirements to make sure you are covered. If you haven’t come up with a final list of schools then it’s our recommendation that you take the writing portion as well to insure that you aren’t re-taking the entire again. Cover your bases and you’ll better off!

COST

No, these tests aren’t free there is a fee for each test and each time that you take the test.   The actual cost for the test is pretty close to identical so that shouldn’t weigh into your testing taking decision. If you know which one you schools are requiring you might be able to save some money and brain power by choosing one test over the other. And like we mentioned above, if you are still not sure exactly which schools you are applying to take both sets of tests. Yes, we realize what this means.

One note – there’s a fee for every school you send the test results to. So once your roster of schools is complete only choose one test per school based on their requirements. That way you pay the minimum amount needed for score submissions.

You Might Be Interested in: In 9th Grade Math I Got a “C”, Now What?

TEST STYLE

This is probably the area where the two tests vary the most. The SAT test measures your verbal abilities and reasoning or aptitude skills. It doesn’t rely solely on what you’ve learned in school which can throw some people that take the test. The ACT measures what your knowledge is and what you’ve learned in school. Obviously you better have paid attention because this means you’ll see questions related to what you should have covered and learned by the time you take the test. The SAT may have article, charts or graphs on topics you never studied. But don’t worry, even if you haven’t studied the topic there is enough information presented to analyze and respond to the topics.

TEST PENALTIES

One BIG difference between the two exams is that the SAT test does ding you for missed or wrong answers. Yup, you read that correctly. Each wrong answer costs you one quarter of one point. But questions that are not answered do not cost you anything. So, for an example, if you were to answer one question correctly and the following four wrong, you would have earned a score of 0 for that group of questions.

This makes many say that the ACT test is easier since that penalty doesn’t exist. And there are a lot of students that take both and says that as well. Part of the reasoning behind this is the fact that the topics covered on the ACT exam are questions on topics that you have covered in high school (or should have…..). So there’s a greater comfort level or ease in dealing with these question when compared to some on the SAT test. The SAT test on the other hand, will have some unfamiliar information and is wanting you to use your critical reasoning functions to determine the correct responses. Because of the unfamiliarity with this type of testing and information, more students are nervous and concerned about the SAT test.

Both the ACT test and the SAT test are rights of passage from high school to college. So worrying and stressing won’t change the situation. Finding the right test for schools you are interested and prepping and be prepared will make the difference that you need.

Search for ACT tutors and SAT tutors in your area!

Here are some useful words you need to know.  Now LEARN them!

Culpable; adj. At fault; deserving blame.

We knew he was culpable for robbing the bank because of the expensive things he bought the day after.

Decry; v. To openly condemn.
“Don’t decry her. She can make her own choices!” Mom yelled at me as I started to berate my sister for her poor choice.

Denounce; v. To condemn, criticize, or accuse.
I denounce him as a cheater from all I’ve heard of him from broken-hearted girls.

Deplore; v. To express strong dislike or disapproval; to condemn.
I deplore my younger sisters actions but I try to support her when she tries to change her life.

Deprecate; v. To belittle; express disapproval; deplore.
The teacher’s deprecating tone hurt my feelings.

Despise; v. To look down on with contempt or scorn.
I despise her because of the big argument we had last year.

Disparage; v. To speak in a disrespectful way; to belittle; to reduce in esteem.
I hope you don’t disparage them just because you have conflicting views.

Excoriate; v. To censure severely; to denounce; to scold; to rebuke sharply.
Be careful that after you excoriate those around you they start to despise you.

Objurgate; v. To scold sharply; to berate.
The lab technician was quick to objurgate the intern for messing up the equipment.

Reprehensible; adj. Deserving rebuke, scolding, or censure.
Her reprehensible behavior at dinner made it easy for her father to ground her.

Reproachful; adj. Deserving reproach or blame.
He looked at me reproachfully and I knew then that he thought I had committed the crime.

Reprove; v. To voice reproof or disapproval; to find fault with.
I reproved her for bullying the new kid in school.

Foolhardy; adj. Recklessly careless; unwisely daring.
His foolhardy action of slamming on his brakes periodically almost caused an accident.

Hotheaded; adj. Quick to anger, quick to act, often without regard to the consequences.
He is so hotheaded that everyone tiptoes around him as to not make him mad.

Impetuous; adj. Impulsive and passionate, sometimes marked by violent force.
Sometimes my impetuous actions prove to harm my future.

Impulsive; adj. Inclined to act on impulse rather than on thought; acting without thinking things through.
Impulsive behavior is the cause of a lot of hurt in others lives.

Insolent; adj. Bold; arrogant; rude; rash and disrespectful.
The insolent brat mocks me and imitates me in front of her friends!

Madcap; adj. Behaving impulsively, madly, or rashly, with little thought or consideration of consequences.
My madcap adventure left me stranded on the highway with an empty gas tank.

Offhanded; adj. Performed extemporaneously, without forethought or planning.
His offhand speech was rushed but from the heart. He was surprised he came up with the speech that earned a standing ovation.

Perilous; adj. Full of or involving peril or great danger.
My perilous journey trekking across the Midwest ended with much welcome.

Rash; adj. Characterized by or resulting from ill-considered haste or boldness; reckless.
Instead of making a rash decision, I think long and hard before coming to a final decision.

Reckless; adj. Indifferent to or disregarding of consequences; careless.
I am reckless when I make decisions involving love. I decide before I think.

Temerity; n. Reckless disregard for danger or one’s own safety; recklessness.
My temerity in encouraging her on the stage resulted in us both tripping on the stairs.

Critical Reasoning Question 3

An investigation must be launched into the operations of the private group that is training recruits to fight against the Balaland Republic. The U.S. Neutrality Act plainly forbids U.S. citizens from engaging in military campaigns against any nation with which we are not at war. Since no war has been declared between the United States and the Balaland Republic, we should bring charges against these fanatics, who are in open defiance of the law.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

A. The Balaland Republic is currently engaged in a bloody and escalating civil war.

B. Diplomatic relations between the United States and the Balaland Republic were severed last year.

C. The recruits are being trained to fight only in the event the United States goes to war against the Balaland Republic.

D. The training of recruits is funded not by E.S. citizens, but rather by a consortium of individuals from abroad.

E. Charges cannot be brought against the private group that is training the recruits unless an investigation is first launched.

Correct answer: C

U.S. law forbids U.S. citizens from engaging in military campaigns against countries unless the United States is at war with those countries. Since no war has been declared between the United States and the Balaland Republic, the author concludes that the recruits being trained to fight against the Balaland Republic are defying U.S. law. But if, as (C) asserts, the recruits are being trained to fight only if a way is declared, then they’re not in defiance of U.S. law. Being prepared for battle is different from actually engaging in it.

(A)’s no weakener; we can’t assume that the country’s escalating civil war justifies military action against it. In (B), severing diplomatic ties doesn’t go far enough to show that training recruits is justifiable under U.S. law. As for (D), who funds the rebels was never mentioned by the author and is irrelevant. And as for (E), the author starts off calling for an investigation, so he doesn’t assert that charges should be brought without launching an investigation first.