Chloe sat at the table with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. Cayden could see her jaw moving slightly and knew she was grinding her teeth again. He took the towel and tried to blot the juice that was seeping onto her homework paper.
"I told you not to put that cup so close to your hand," she barked. "Sometimes, you drive me up the wall."
Cayden's eyes stung with hot tears, but he quickly blinked them away. He was not going let his sister upset him this time. It was an honest mistake that anyone could make; that's what Mom would say.
"I don't know why you're so angry since I'm the one who doesn't have a drink now. That was the last of the juice." Cayden finished cleaning up his mess and went to put the dishrag in the kitchen sink. His nose was starting to run, and he sniffed loudly. Chloe put her pencil down with a sigh, walked into the kitchen behind him, and then opened the refrigerator. She peered through the refrigerated contents, moving bottles, bags, and packages.
"Well, there's no use crying over spilt milk," she said, rummaging through the vegetable bin, "even if it is juice. We have some lemons. How about I make lemonade?"
Cayden smiled and said, "Sure." As Chloe began pulling out a pitcher and the necessary ingredients, she frowned at Cayden, who was leaning against the sink with his arms leisurely crossed. "Hey, you want to give me a hand here?" she snapped, causing Cayden to jump at her sharp tone.
"What is wrong with you?" he snapped back. "Why are you so impatient with me today?"
Chloe set the sugar bowl on the counter and took a deep breath. "I have been very impatient. I'm sorry, but I'm still upset over a grade I received on my math test today, and I think I'm giving you all my frustration."
Cayden sliced a lemon in half and began to squeeze it into the pitcher. "Well, you know what Mom always says."
"When life gives you lemons," Chloe said.
They both giggled and said, "Make lemonade!"
Select ALL the correct answers.
Which two themes can be found in the passage?
Working hard is better than feeling bad about getting poor grades.
A positive attitude can help one make the best of a bad situation.
It is better to accept one's siblings as they are because no one is perfect.
Losing one's calm and getting upset is never the solution to a problem.
Blaming one's friends for personal difficulties is neither fair nor kind.
1 answer
The two themes that can be found in the passage are:
These themes are reflected in Chloe and Cayden's interaction as they deal with the mess and Chloe's frustration, ultimately finding a way to lighten the mood through humor and teamwork.
