Question
Whenever Crystal went to the local Buy-Mart she would faithfully follow her shopping list. As she wheeled her cart through the gigantic store, she never strayed from the list once. She wouldn’t add any clothes or food or even auto parts.
But something always happened to her once she got to the checkout lane. Was it the boredom of waiting for a long time? Or was it just the sheer magnetism of the products located in the checkout area? Whatever it was, Crystal had trouble controlling herself.
It had started as a way to distract herself. She did not like being in a noisy store with long lines. She’d browse the impulse items shelved along the checkout line and laugh. Who would buy a three-inch-tall personal fan? Why would anyone buy hand sanitizer inside an alligator-shaped container? Crystal would toss the objects into her cart. The time seemed to fly by.
For a while, she found herself coming home and unloading things like the Hollywood-in-the-Know Magazine. Once she bought the oven mitt with “I’m the Boss of the Kitchen” sewn onto it. After a while, Crystal had collected more than 35 tubes of lip gloss. Money was pouring down the drain. That was when she knew she had a problem.
Something had to change. Crystal began shopping online. The hefty delivery fees were cheaper than all the money she’d been wasting on snack-sized peanuts and beef jerky. And yet even after she had solved her problem, every time she drove past Buy-Mart, she felt a little pull.
How does Crystal approach her conflict in the story?
She sends her brother to the store instead of going herself.
She finds a new department store to shop at.
She sets a limit on the amount she can spend on impulse buys each week.
She starts to mostly buy items online instead of in person.
But something always happened to her once she got to the checkout lane. Was it the boredom of waiting for a long time? Or was it just the sheer magnetism of the products located in the checkout area? Whatever it was, Crystal had trouble controlling herself.
It had started as a way to distract herself. She did not like being in a noisy store with long lines. She’d browse the impulse items shelved along the checkout line and laugh. Who would buy a three-inch-tall personal fan? Why would anyone buy hand sanitizer inside an alligator-shaped container? Crystal would toss the objects into her cart. The time seemed to fly by.
For a while, she found herself coming home and unloading things like the Hollywood-in-the-Know Magazine. Once she bought the oven mitt with “I’m the Boss of the Kitchen” sewn onto it. After a while, Crystal had collected more than 35 tubes of lip gloss. Money was pouring down the drain. That was when she knew she had a problem.
Something had to change. Crystal began shopping online. The hefty delivery fees were cheaper than all the money she’d been wasting on snack-sized peanuts and beef jerky. And yet even after she had solved her problem, every time she drove past Buy-Mart, she felt a little pull.
How does Crystal approach her conflict in the story?
She sends her brother to the store instead of going herself.
She finds a new department store to shop at.
She sets a limit on the amount she can spend on impulse buys each week.
She starts to mostly buy items online instead of in person.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Crystal approaches her conflict in the story by starting to mostly buy items online instead of in person. This decision helps her avoid the temptation of impulse buys that she faced when shopping at Buy-Mart. By shopping online, she can manage her spending more effectively and reduce the chances of adding unnecessary items to her cart.