Give up Purple, Give up Black

Question

A. Gautam

The twins had drifted apart as soon as they turned thirteen. While Sanaa, the shorter one, picked up three extra inches, Sabaa, the one always interested in academics, started focusing on her appearance. Now, the girls engaged in an unspoken battle for attention from their parents with one striking change after another.

First, Mrs. Khan didn’t say anything when Sabaa returned from a sleepover with purple hair. Then, Mr. Khan didn’t say anything when Sanaa’s wardrobe consisted of only black. When the sisters asked, separately, if they could shave their head, both parents put their foot down. In protest against their parents, after what seemed like years, Sabaa and Sanaa started really talking to each other again.

“It’s so not like you—all black—yuck,” Sabaa confessed. “Why?”

“Well, what about you. Why ruin your perfect curls with that gross purple?” Sanaa asked.

“Why are they not even celebrating their anniversary?” Sabaa asked the question that was eating her inside. “Are they getting divorced?”

“They don’t even watch TV together anymore,” Sanaa said. “I don’t want to be a child of divorce. I don’t want split time. I don’t want to live away from you.”

“You know, Kal said her parents got back together when she started failing in all her classes,” Sabaa finally said what was on her mind. “Is that why you went all black?”

“Kal’s advice is terrible. I want good grades. I want them—us—together. I don’t know why I went all black. I just felt dark inside and out,” Sanaa explained. “You?”

“I know Kal manipulates, but I get her point. She got her parents distracted from their problems. Can’t we straight up ask?” Sabaa said.

Just then the door opened, and Mr. and Mrs. Khan entered the girls’ room.

“We are worried about you,” the mother said. “Since when can’t you come to us? Why go so far for attention?”

“Are you leaving us, daddy?” Sabaa dared to ask. “Why aren’t you two happy?”

“What gave you that idea? We are as solid as ever,” the father said as he awkwardly reached for his wife’s hand, which she didn’t accept.

Mrs. Khan entered the center of the room while Mr. Khan stayed by the door and said that she had news to share.
Party Problem
A. Gautam

After a busy day of skipping breakfast, little lunch and a very light dinner, Darla was exhausted. She was a little hazy when her dog appeared by her bedside and she asked, “Ralph, why the long face?” Darla didn’t even laugh at her own joke.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from her best friend Lori.

“Still on at 3?”

Darla was about to reply with a question mark when she realized that Lori had added her to a group text on accident. Texts started flooding in like an overflowing river in April. Darla quickly understood that her three best friends were planning a celebration for her early acceptance into Yale. At 12, Darla was going to college, which was a big deal indeed. But Darla loved attention as much as she loved eating rotten food. How can I stop this? Darla asked herself as she walked into the kitchen for a late-night snack. After all, her stomach was a hollow pit. The light was on, and she saw her mother fixing a sandwich.

“Mom, why are you eating after 10?” Darla asked her mother who was supposedly on a diet. She saw her mother hide a chocolate bar in the drawer quicker than Flash.

“Kid, why are you still up? Hush. I don’t think I'm allergic to wheat. I miss bread too much,” Laney explained. Her doctor had asked her to keep a close watch on her diet to rule out the allergen that was hard to test.

“I need your help. Lori and others are throwing a party for me. Help me get out of it. She accidentally sent a text to me with the details,” Darla blurted it out.

“Wait a minute, maybe she did it on purpose. That’s just to throw you off. Maybe the real party is a secret,” Laney said. She always considered Lori her second kid and knew her well.

“Could it be?” Darla argued. “I am going 200 miles away. She can’t let me go just like that. What is the plan then?”

“Don’t sweat too much. Anything Lori plans will be pain free for you. Trust me. Go read something boring to sleep. Maybe a dictionary will make your life more meaningful,” Laney said, laughing.

“Wow. Yeah. I will go now,” Darla said, shaking her head at her mother’s jokes that always sent her running. I wonder if I make such corny jokes, she asked herself. What aspect of the passages is affected by the difference in the structure?
Responses
A the setting in which the events unfold the setting in which the events unfold
B the way technology affects the plot in both the way technology affects the plot in both
C how the reader knows the characters’ thoughts how the reader knows the characters’ thoughts
D the way the main problem is introduced

Answer 1

The correct answer is D: the way the main problem is introduced.

In "Give up Purple, Give up Black," the main problem revolves around the twins' concern about their parents' relationship and the emotional turmoil they experience due to their actions and choices. The problem is introduced through their dialogue and interactions with each other, leading to an emotional climax when they confront their parents.

In contrast, in "Party Problem," the main problem relating to the unexpected party for Darla is introduced through a series of text messages and a misunderstanding. This introduces a social dilemma that hinges on communication technology, which shapes the plot's direction and affects Darla's immediate reactions and concerns.

Thus, the difference in structure influences how each story's main problem is presented and developed.