What is the form of a pastoral elegy? I would like to know the usual rhyme scheme and meter of a pastoral elegy.

There really is not a simple answer to your question, but this information should help you understand more about pastoral elegies.

An elegy is a formal poem of mourning. The word "pastoral" in literature connotes country life as an idealized existence. A pastoral elegy is a poem that mourns the death of an important person or idea and often casts the speaker and/or the subject as shepherds with the attendant Christian overtones.

In their ancient Greek version, elegies were written as couplets with alternating lines of hexameter and pentameter.

In English literature, pastoral elegies do not have a set form with regard to length, rhyme scheme, or meter. 

For an example of perhaps the most well-known English pastoral elegy, read John Milton's "Lycidas" available here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/44733

In "Lycidas," Milton did not employ a regular rhyme scheme. He used alternating iambic pentameter and trimeter.

Pastoral elegies can even be written in free verse, such as Walt Whitman's elegy to Abraham Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd."

What is surprising to the signalman when the narrator calls to him in "The Signal-Man"? Why?

When the narrator calls to the signalman, the man has something "remarkable in his manner. . . His attitude was one of such expectation and watchfulness," as though he is wary of the narrator. It is as though he has seen the narrator before and is afraid of him.

Once the narrator descends and talks with the signalman, the man reveals to the narrator that his calling down from above has reminded the signal-man of an apparition he has seen before because the narrator called out the very words of the apparition. Hearing this in such a dismal, dark, and lonely place, the narrator wonders if the signalman himself is not some sort of apparition. Nevertheless, the narrator establishes a relationship with the strange man, who describes his job to him. Further, the man confides in him that he has seen a man covering his eyes and his right arm who waves violently and calls out, "For God's sake, clear the way!" 

Shortly after this conversation, the narrator sees what seems to be an apparition at the opening of the tunnel. The man stands with his arm over his eyes; he waves desperately at the mouth of the tunnel. After he runs to the signal box, he is informed that the signalman has been killed by a train that morning. Eerily, just as the signalman described his apparition, a man covered his eyes to prevent himself from seeing the train run over the signalman.

The narrator asks the men around the opening of the tunnel what has happened. "Signalman killed this morning, sir," one replies. "Not the man I know?" the narrator asks fearfully. When he is brought to the poor, dead man, the narrator asks how his death has occurred, and the men describe exactly what has happened to the signal-man. It is eerily familiar to the narrator.

"What did you say?" the narrator asks the engineer. He replies, "I said, 'Below there! Look out! Look out! For God's sake, clear the way!"

Shaken, the narrator realizes what occurred is exactly like what the ghostly apparition has done as described by the signalman.

What is the theme of the novel Lyddie by Katherine Paterson?

There are several themes that are present in Katherine Paterson's Lyddie.

One theme present is slavery.  The theme is introduced early on in the novel when Lyddie comes face to face with Ezekial, a runaway slave.  It is through him that Lyddie sees similarities between his struggle and her struggle.  There are repeated references to slavery throughout the novel.  For example, in Chapter Twelve Betsy makes the comment that she and the other factory girls are treated no better than slaves.  Lyddie adamantly claims that she is not a slave, but as working conditions continue to deteriorate, Lyddie is less and less sure of her opinion.  

Another theme is that of female independence.  In our modern world, audiences are inundated with male hero characters, so Lyddie is a refreshing read.  Not only is the central character a female, but she is a strong, brave, and fiercely independent female.  For example, Lyddie shows incredible courage when she decides to leave Cutler's Tavern to become a factory girl.  She continues to be a laudable character because she continues to show the value of being an independent woman with a high work ethic.  

Lastly, I think there is a theme present that shows the value of education.  Throughout the novel, readers are shown the value that Lyddie and her roommates put on education.  Lyddie learns to read while living with the other girls and challenges herself to continue learning.  Betsy leaves factory work in order to go to Oberlin College, and the novel ends with Lyddie deciding to go to college instead of trying to find work elsewhere or taking Luke up on his marriage proposal. 

What is Phillip afraid to do that Timothy would really like for him to do?

I believe that this question is asking about events in chapter 10.  In chapter 10, Timothy hints to Phillip that Phillip should climb some of the trees in order to harvest a few coconuts.  

The two characters are stranded on a small island.  Their diet has been meager and limited to things that the ocean can provide.  Timothy suggests that the coconuts would be a good variation in their diet.  Timothy is completely willing to climb the trees, but he is simply too old and weak to do it.  On the other hand, Phillip is young, energetic, and physically capable of doing the climb.  The problem is that Phillip is too scared to try.  The climb itself would be scary.  Those trees are tall, but Phillip's fears of the climb are deepened because he is currently blind.  

How do you think that most people in Edwards's audience responded to his "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" speech?

Johnathan Edwards, author of the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, had the great fortune of living during the Great Awakening in America, when many people turned to religion for a personal conversion experience. Edwards did not have one congregation; rather, he was one of a group of circuit preachers who traveled all over the Northeast, and he had a great following. People in colonial times did not have electronic devices to distract them, and they were used to paying attention to long sermons, which is good, because Edwards's sermon lasted two hours. During those two hours, people could actually visualize their lives hanging by a thread over a fiery Hell. Reports from the time actually had people crying and in fear for their souls. When Edwards asked people to repent of their sins and come to Jesus, many people hurried to do this for fear that they would not get to take their next breath. Edwards's imagery was so vivid that the message stayed with the listeners; even today, the sermon is still read not only as religious literature, but also for its descriptive qualities.

In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, what happens to Moby-Dick at the story’s end?

Herman Melville’s Moby Dick concludes with a three-day chase for the legendary white whale.  Led by the relentless Captain Ahab, who lost ships and his leg to the monstrous whale, the chase is a revenge quest to slay the elusive creature who continuously torments Ahab.  As Ishmael states, “All that most maddens and torments, all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified and made practically assailable in Moby Dick” (Melville 153).  Thus, the novel concludes with a maddened battle between Captain Ahab and Moby Dick that leads to total destruction. 

The final encounter occurs in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator after Ahab is informed of recent sightings of Moby Dick.  Ahab sails his ship, The Pequod, towards the whale and prepares his crew for battle, even anointing his harpoon with the blood of the three harpooners, Queequeg, Tashtego and Daggoo.  On the first day, Ahab senses the presence of the whale and orders his men to lower the harpooning boats.  Moby Dick surfaces and “the grand god revealed himself” (Melville 448).  The whale rams the side of Ahab’s boat and “shook the slight cedar as a mildly cruel cat her mouse” (Melville 449).  Ahab’s boat is broken into pieces and cast into the ocean with some of his other men.  The Pequod comes to their rescue and Moby Dick disappears. 

On the second day, Ahab spots Moby Dick again and three harpooning boats are dropped into the ocean.  The harpooners successfully stab Moby Dick, but the whale’s violent thrashing and immense strength destroys two of the boats.  As noted by Ishmael, when Moby Dick dives underwater, he “disappears into a boiling maelstrom” (Melville 456). Again, Moby Dick escapes, but not without taking Ahab’s ivory leg.  Ahab vows to kill the white whale, even if he must dive to the depths to get his revenge.  He states, “I’ll ten times girdle the unmeasured globe; yea and dive straight through it, but I’ll slay him yet!” (Melville 458).

Finally, on the third day of the chase, Moby Dick is spotted again, but he now is towing the dead Parsee behind him with a snagged harpoon line.  Ahab orders for the boats to be lowered and is able to hit Moby Dick in the side with his anointed harpoon, but the whale quickly retaliates and smashes into the bow of The Pequod, sinking the ship and drowning the men.  In one final act of desperation, Ahab tries to harpoon the whale, but his line catches around his neck and he is taken down to the depths with the whale.  Ahab and all of his men, except Ishmael, who clings to a floating coffin for safety, are killed in this final encounter, and the ship goes down in Moby Dick’s vortex and disappears without a trace: “And now, concentric circles seized the lone boat itself, and all its crew, and each floating oar, and every lance-pole, and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round” (Melville 468). 

Thus, at the conclusion of Moby Dick, the whale escapes after killing Captain Ahab and his crew and destroying The Pequod.

What advice does Slim give George when George asks Slim about trying to find Lennie instead of killing him?

Towards the end of Of Mice and Men, Slim and George walk into the barn and discover Curley's wife is dead. Curley then enters the barn and says he's going to shoot Lennie for killing his wife. Slim quietly tells George that Lennie must have been responsible for her death even though it was an accident. George then tells Slim that Lennie would have traveled south since they came from the north. George asks Slim if they could find Lennie and turn him in so he could go to jail instead of be shot. Slim tells George that it would be possible if they could find a way to keep Curley from leaving the ranch. Slim says Curley is still upset about his hand and will want to see Lennie die. He then tells George that even if Lennie were taken to jail, he would be strapped down and locked up in a cage. George takes Slim's advice and spares Lennie the experience of being killed by the mob or being locked in prison by shooting Lennie himself.