by Leena Abraham
CHARACTERS:
VAUGHAN, 14-year-old boy
BRODY, 13-year-old boy
MELANIE, 14-year-old girl
HEAD JUDGE
Scene 1
1 [The curtain rises. Vaughan, Melanie, and Brody are sitting on the rug in Vaughan's bedroom and deciding on the topic for their science fair project.]
2 VAUGHAN: Let's create a model that works on batteries.
3 MELANIE: That sounds interesting.
4 BRODY: [Talking softly and unsurely.] Why don't we make a sundial? We can show how people knew what time it was by using the rays of the sun.
5 VAUGHAN: Speak up, Brody. We can barely hear you. People will think you are timid if you don't speak loudly and clearly. And what is so special about a sundial?
6 BRODY: [Clearing his throat.] Well, the project can work two ways: as a science project and a social science project. In olden days, when there were no watches or clocks, people told time from the rays of the sun.
7 [Vaughan and Melanie exchange glances. They look impressed.]
8 VAUGHAN: How do you know so much about sundials?
9 BRODY: I have always been interested in them, and I have even watched a movie about sundials.
10 VAUGHAN: Hmmm, not bad!
11 MELANIE: I'll make a list of the things we need for the sundial—not too many things. All we need are a plate, a pencil, a marker, and a clock. And we better use a reusable plate made of paper. Last time, Brody dropped our project and it broke. Remember, Brody? [Smiling at Brody.]
12 BRODY: [quietly] Yes, I do. Mom always warns me. When I feel nervous, I tend to drop things. I keep telling myself to remain calm.
13 VAUGHAN: OK. Now, let's start working on how we'll present our sundial.
14 MELANIE: I think we should practice our speeches at the booth.
15 BRODY: We should be ready with answers in case the head judge asks us questions. So, let me ask you some questions about the sundial.
Scene 2
16 [The curtain rises, and we see the booth at the science fair. Vaughan, Melanie, and Brody are ready with their project. Vaughan is looking cheerful and confident. Brody is standing behind Vaughan and Melanie looking serious. Melanie is busy arranging things.]
17 MELANIE: Vaughan, because you speak clearly and confidently, can you can explain the sundial to the head judge when he visits our booth? Brody and I will assist you. I hope they choose our project for the country-wide science fair next month.
18 VAUGHAN: Yes, I will.
19 [The head judge arrives at their booth.]
20 VAUGHAN: [Starts speaking.] Ancient Egyptians used sundials to tell time… [He then stutters and looks at Melanie and Brody helplessly.]
21 BRODY: [Immediately takes over.] In 1500 BCE, ancient Egyptians used a sundial or "shadow clock" to tell time. In this experiment, we have built a sundial to show how the sun's shadow can be used to tell time.
22 HEAD JUDGE: When will the shadow be the shortest?
23 BRODY: [Loudly and clearly.] At around noon time.
24 HEAD JUDGE: Why does the shadow keep changing?
25 BRODY: [Continues with ease and confidence.] Because Earth rotates around the sun.
26 [The head judge walks away looking impressed. Vaughan and Melanie pat Brody on the back.]
27 VAUGHAN: That was courageous and unexpected of you to take over like that. You had not even practiced the speech. I never imagined you would present so well.
28 MELANIE: Excellent, Brody! We are proud of you.
29 BRODY: [Beaming.] Thank you!
2
In paragraph 15, why did the playwright foreshadow that the head judge will ask questions?
A.
to reveal that the characters need to be well-prepared for the science fair
B.
to imply that Brody has created many different projects for science fairs
C.
to suggest that the head judge will not pay much attention to them
D.
to show that the characters have worked on many projects together
1 answer
The correct answer is:
A. to reveal that the characters need to be well-prepared for the science fair.
This foreshadowing indicates that the characters should anticipate questions from the head judge, reinforcing the importance of being prepared for their presentation.
