Question
Which two details from the text develops the theme “no matter how careful you are, the world will always present you with unexpected surprises”?
“It was according to this habit that Louisa approached her desk chair one day, only to recoil as she reached for her pencil holder. One of her pencils was missing!” (paragraph 1)
“She made the rounds in her home, investigating each family member.” (paragraph 7)
“Wood shavings on the windowsill . . . ‘I keep forgetting to fix that hole. . . .’” (paragraphs 11-12)
“Given her belief that everything had a perfectly logical explanation, she rarely experienced nervousness.” (paragraph 6)
Mystery solved, Louisa cheerfully called out to her mother, “Mom, do you think you could fix my screen tonight instead of waiting till Saturday?”(paragraph 15)
“It was according to this habit that Louisa approached her desk chair one day, only to recoil as she reached for her pencil holder. One of her pencils was missing!” (paragraph 1)
“She made the rounds in her home, investigating each family member.” (paragraph 7)
“Wood shavings on the windowsill . . . ‘I keep forgetting to fix that hole. . . .’” (paragraphs 11-12)
“Given her belief that everything had a perfectly logical explanation, she rarely experienced nervousness.” (paragraph 6)
Mystery solved, Louisa cheerfully called out to her mother, “Mom, do you think you could fix my screen tonight instead of waiting till Saturday?”(paragraph 15)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The two details from the text that develop the theme “no matter how careful you are, the world will always present you with unexpected surprises” are:
1. **“It was according to this habit that Louisa approached her desk chair one day, only to recoil as she reached for her pencil holder. One of her pencils was missing!” (paragraph 1)**: This detail illustrates Louisa's expectation of a routine situation, emphasizing the unexpected surprise of discovering her pencil missing, highlighting that even in familiar circumstances, surprises can arise.
2. **“Wood shavings on the windowsill . . . ‘I keep forgetting to fix that hole. . . .’” (paragraphs 11-12)**: This observation points to another unexpected surprise, indicating that the environment around her is altered in a way she had not anticipated. The presence of wood shavings suggests an unaddressed issue that has manifested unexpectedly, reinforcing the idea that surprises can occur despite one's attempts to manage their surroundings.
1. **“It was according to this habit that Louisa approached her desk chair one day, only to recoil as she reached for her pencil holder. One of her pencils was missing!” (paragraph 1)**: This detail illustrates Louisa's expectation of a routine situation, emphasizing the unexpected surprise of discovering her pencil missing, highlighting that even in familiar circumstances, surprises can arise.
2. **“Wood shavings on the windowsill . . . ‘I keep forgetting to fix that hole. . . .’” (paragraphs 11-12)**: This observation points to another unexpected surprise, indicating that the environment around her is altered in a way she had not anticipated. The presence of wood shavings suggests an unaddressed issue that has manifested unexpectedly, reinforcing the idea that surprises can occur despite one's attempts to manage their surroundings.