Question

[1]
My grandmother is one of my best friends and an
inspiration to both I and my mother1. Forty years ago, when
she was 23, she brought her infant daughter (my mother) from
Nicaragua to the United States and has2 settled in Miami.
Grandmother now lives three doors down from us and, ever
since I can remember, she has hosted Sunday dinners at her
house for family and friends. Her home-cooked meals are
incredible delicious, and3 because of them, I have become
passionate about cooking. My dream is to someday become
a chef who brings the flavors of Grandmother’s kitchen to
the world.

[2]
Well aware of my enthusiasm for food, Grand-
mother contacted a friend that4 arranged an internship at
a successful downtown restaurant called Fritanga del
Barrio.5 Fritanga is the word for a restaurant that
serves home-cooked Nicaraguan food, and Barrio means
neighborhood.

[3]
I met with Randy, the restaurant’s owner, about two
weeks before my internship started. He lead me through6 the
dining area and kitchen to his office near the back of the
building. He explained to me that, since7 I would not be
paid much, I would be expected to work very hard. He added
that the most valuable8 part of the internship would be the
opportunity to observe the many aspects of a functioning
restaurant.

[4]
Perhaps I should have found his words more
daunting, but I didn’t because I guess9 my dreams clouded
my thinking. I envisioned myself in a corner of his kitchen,
replicating Grandmother’s specialty dishes with care10. I
pictured customers feasting on my creations and praising my
efforts at the meal’s end. I saw myself barking orders to prep
chefs who were not working fast enough to keep and maintain11
pace11. I saw Randy at summer’s end begging me to work full-
time at a high salary.

[5]
[1] The reality of those two very, very long intern-
ship months were not aligned12 with my imaginings. [2] Day
after day, I came home exhausted from washing dishes, setting
and clearing tables, and from the fulfillment of13 many of the
boring tasks that are required to make a restaurant operate
smoothly. [3] I am eager to someday put that kind of hard
work into my own dream of using Grandmother’s recipes to
create wonderful dining experiences for others.14


Upon reviewing the preceding sentence the author decides to
add the phrase “for me” to the sentence. Where is the best
place to insert the phrase?


The writer would like to convey the satisfaction and honor
she would feel cooking her grandmother’s dishes at Fritanga
del Barrio. The use of which of the following words would
best accomplish the writer’s goal?

A.
NO CHANGE
B.
with the fulfillment of
C.
from fulfilling
D.
fulfilling

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To add the phrase "for me" in the most appropriate place in the given context, it would be best to insert it into the sentence where it clarifies the fulfillment experienced by the author. Therefore, the best position to add “for me” is after “the fulfillment of” in the sentence:

“Day after day, I came home exhausted from washing dishes, setting and clearing tables, and from **the fulfillment for me of** many of the boring tasks that are required to make a restaurant operate smoothly.”

This placement gives a clear sense of personal satisfaction associated with the hard work, even if it was not exactly what the author initially envisioned.

Regarding the choice of words to express the satisfaction and honor of cooking her grandmother’s dishes at Fritanga del Barrio, the best option would be:

**D. fulfilling**

The word "fulfilling" implies that the author finds the tasks meaningful or rewarding, aligning well with the sentiment of honor and satisfaction she wants to convey.

So, to summarize:
1. The phrase "for me" should be added to “the fulfillment of” as "the fulfillment for me of."
2. The best word to convey the desired sentiment is "fulfilling."