by B. McSwain
On Tuesday, Blake entered the rec center with a bounce in his step because this was going to be the best after-school job in the history of after-school jobs for teens. Two days a week he would check in kids, direct them to their activities, and then sit back and talk to Josh while little kids played indoor soccer. But then, Bob, the center's director, approached him to inquire what sports he had played.
Blake proudly heralded, "Football, baseball, basketball, cross-country, soccer, and broom hockey."
"Well," said Bob, "that's good because the new soccer coach for the pre-K group can't make it today, so I need you to sub for him. And we want to teach them a value each week to build character," he added offering a small notebook. "It's all in here. This week is initiative, and they'll be here in . . . oh! here they come now."
Blake took the notebook, stammering for the kids to follow him. The next 45 minutes blurred past Blake as he attempted to direct a flock of five-year-olds who kept tripping over the soccer ball and running into each other. Afterward, Blake sat everyone down for the character lesson.
"This week you'll learn about initiative," he began, fumbling with the pages in the notebook.
"What's in-she-tive?"
"Well, it's when you want to do something . . . and . . ."
"I want to go home," said Matthew.
"Me too. I want to in-she-tive now," said Claire.
"No, that's not what I meant," said Blake, but the more he tried to explain, the explanation escalated to complete confusion, until the final buzzer sounded, and he dismissed the team. Little Sierra tugged hard on Blake's shirt like she was ringing a steeple bell, and he looked down at her upturned, dauntless face.
"I still don't know what in-she-tive is."
On Thursday, Blake learned that the new soccer coach wouldn't be coming after all, so he asked Bob if he could coach the team. Bob agreed.
"I appreciate you taking the initiative to do this, Blake," said Bob. Blake smiled, happy with a new approach for explaining in-she-tive to his team.
1
What is a theme in the passage?
A.
Challenging work is more satisfying than easy work.
B.
Hard work is its own reward.
C.
Expect the surprises from a hard job.
D.
It is never a good idea to take the easy way out.
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The best theme in the passage is C. Expect the surprises from a hard job.
Blake enters the job excited but quickly faces unexpected challenges, such as having to coach a pre-K soccer team and struggling to explain the concept of initiative to young children. This illustrates that even when a job seems straightforward, it can come with surprises and difficulties that require adaptability.
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