Question
The Diving Board
1
Peering into the glassy, translucent water, Aiden never imagined that standing on the edge of a diving board would feel like peering over the edge of the world. After all, it was only six feet up, but from where he was positioned, it felt like an insurmountable sixty. As the sweltering heat of the Sun beat down on his neck and back, the board slightly pulsated up and down from the weight of his body. This created a queasy, uneasy feeling in Aiden's stomach and it was one that he was not unacquainted with. As he stood on the lanky diving board squinting down at his friend Gavin, he remembered back to the beginning of middle school and the terrified feeling he experienced in Mrs. Erdon's English class.
2
Seventh grade seemed like it was just yesterday, but he had to concede that a lot had transpired in two years. Because he was leaving his elementary school and beginning middle school, Aiden had an immense amount of apprehension and angst. Besides the fact that the new school was twice the size of his previous one, the student body was also enlarged which added to his anxieties. Furthermore, his older brother told him that the teachers would be rigorous and the classes more exigent; he questioned how he would ever survive in this jungle. Thankfully, he had English class first period which was his preferred subject, and to improve matters, his best friend Gavin was in the same class. Gavin and Aiden had been comrades since second grade and they complemented each other in just about everything. Where English was Aiden's best subject, it was Gavin's worst; Gavin made up for this in math though and often helped Aiden with his algebra homework. Now, at a new school and on a fresh adventure, the two boys were resolved to face whatever was going to come their way. Approximately four and a half minutes later, their tenacity plummeted when Aiden and Gavin procured their class schedules and found out that they had the notorious "Mrs. Erdon" for English. Her reputation preceded her; the kids around campus called her "The Tormentor."
3
Despite the fact that it was the inaugural day, Mrs. Erdon lived up to her fame and wasted no time on introductions. She brusquely declared that all students would be giving introductory speeches in front of their peers tomorrow; terror swept over Aiden as Mrs. Erdon expounded on the first assignment. Aiden abhorred public speaking and by the sound of the grouses and moans in the classroom, he was not alone. Aiden had always treasured English class, but he had never had to give a speech before and the thought of it was revolting. As they sauntered out of the classroom that day, Aiden griped to Gavin, "I don't know how I am ever going to get through this."
4
Gavin replied, "Yeah, me too, but you can do it— you can do anything." The remainder of Aiden's first day at his new school was plagued with the guaranteed "F" he knew he would be getting in his English class that year.
5
That evening Aiden's mom noticed that he had not eaten his dinner and was very subdued. Later, she went up to his room, pulled out his tattered brown desk chair, and sat down. "Something wrong Aiden?" she asked unwearyingly.
6
"I just cannot do this speech for English class, Mom. The teacher already hates me and anyway, I'm not good at talking in front of people."
7
In a reassuring tone, Aiden's mom recounted a story of when she had to traverse a balance beam backwards for gym class. "I was so frightened," she said, "that beam was four feet off the ground, and I thought I could never do it."
8
"What did you do?" Aiden asked inquisitively.
9
"My coach told me to believe in myself and you know Aiden, the satisfaction I got after I reached the end of that beam showed me that I had sold myself short." She paused reflectively for a moment and then resumed, "You are capable of so much more than you think; you do not give yourself enough credit just like I didn't when I was younger. You need to conquer your trepidations and believe in yourself."
10
While lying awake in bed that night staring pensively at the ceiling, Aiden cogitated about his mom's story and her words of encouragement. "Am I really capable of this?" he questioned. "I guess it couldn't hurt to attempt it, after all, eventually, I do need to face my fears." Aiden rolled out of his bed, grasped his pen and notebook and sat down at his desk, resolute to compose a speech that would not be soon forgotten. Unsatisfied with mediocrity, each draft he wrote was superior to the preceding one. The next morning, Aiden shuffled into his English class weary and anxious, but primed to excel.
11
And now, as he stood vacillating on the edge of the coarse, seasoned diving board, it evoked the feeling of gratification that overtook him after he delivered his speech that day. Even though that was almost two years ago, the sense of accomplishment was just as pervasive as he reminisced on that life-changing event. He wasn't just an orator that day, he also ascertained that he had more strength than he fathomed. Now, as his mother's words once again reverberated in his head, he knew it was time for him to have faith in himself again, and he almost laughed at how puerile he had been in being so timorous. "Come on Aiden, you can do it!" he heard Gavin bellow at him from below. Creeping his toes over the edge of the diving board, he felt the familiar confidence and inner-strength that he once knew and now coveted. He eased backwards, and then taking a forward stride with his left foot, he bounced on the diving board, sprung into the air and, with arms flailing, he plunged into the sapphire water. The chlorine filled his nostrils and his skin rejoiced at the alleviation of the cool water. It was anything but graceful, but he felt like he had faced his fears and conquered the world.
Multiple Choice Question
Why does the author begin the story in the present, shift to the past, and then finish back in the present?
A.
so that the reader stays engaged and does not get bored
B.
so that the reader learns about the background of the character and is better able to determine his motivations
C.
so that the reader can determine previous external conflicts in the main character's life and therefore better understand the overall theme of the story
D.
so that the reader is engrossed in a complex plot with intricate characters and multiple conflicts.
1
Peering into the glassy, translucent water, Aiden never imagined that standing on the edge of a diving board would feel like peering over the edge of the world. After all, it was only six feet up, but from where he was positioned, it felt like an insurmountable sixty. As the sweltering heat of the Sun beat down on his neck and back, the board slightly pulsated up and down from the weight of his body. This created a queasy, uneasy feeling in Aiden's stomach and it was one that he was not unacquainted with. As he stood on the lanky diving board squinting down at his friend Gavin, he remembered back to the beginning of middle school and the terrified feeling he experienced in Mrs. Erdon's English class.
2
Seventh grade seemed like it was just yesterday, but he had to concede that a lot had transpired in two years. Because he was leaving his elementary school and beginning middle school, Aiden had an immense amount of apprehension and angst. Besides the fact that the new school was twice the size of his previous one, the student body was also enlarged which added to his anxieties. Furthermore, his older brother told him that the teachers would be rigorous and the classes more exigent; he questioned how he would ever survive in this jungle. Thankfully, he had English class first period which was his preferred subject, and to improve matters, his best friend Gavin was in the same class. Gavin and Aiden had been comrades since second grade and they complemented each other in just about everything. Where English was Aiden's best subject, it was Gavin's worst; Gavin made up for this in math though and often helped Aiden with his algebra homework. Now, at a new school and on a fresh adventure, the two boys were resolved to face whatever was going to come their way. Approximately four and a half minutes later, their tenacity plummeted when Aiden and Gavin procured their class schedules and found out that they had the notorious "Mrs. Erdon" for English. Her reputation preceded her; the kids around campus called her "The Tormentor."
3
Despite the fact that it was the inaugural day, Mrs. Erdon lived up to her fame and wasted no time on introductions. She brusquely declared that all students would be giving introductory speeches in front of their peers tomorrow; terror swept over Aiden as Mrs. Erdon expounded on the first assignment. Aiden abhorred public speaking and by the sound of the grouses and moans in the classroom, he was not alone. Aiden had always treasured English class, but he had never had to give a speech before and the thought of it was revolting. As they sauntered out of the classroom that day, Aiden griped to Gavin, "I don't know how I am ever going to get through this."
4
Gavin replied, "Yeah, me too, but you can do it— you can do anything." The remainder of Aiden's first day at his new school was plagued with the guaranteed "F" he knew he would be getting in his English class that year.
5
That evening Aiden's mom noticed that he had not eaten his dinner and was very subdued. Later, she went up to his room, pulled out his tattered brown desk chair, and sat down. "Something wrong Aiden?" she asked unwearyingly.
6
"I just cannot do this speech for English class, Mom. The teacher already hates me and anyway, I'm not good at talking in front of people."
7
In a reassuring tone, Aiden's mom recounted a story of when she had to traverse a balance beam backwards for gym class. "I was so frightened," she said, "that beam was four feet off the ground, and I thought I could never do it."
8
"What did you do?" Aiden asked inquisitively.
9
"My coach told me to believe in myself and you know Aiden, the satisfaction I got after I reached the end of that beam showed me that I had sold myself short." She paused reflectively for a moment and then resumed, "You are capable of so much more than you think; you do not give yourself enough credit just like I didn't when I was younger. You need to conquer your trepidations and believe in yourself."
10
While lying awake in bed that night staring pensively at the ceiling, Aiden cogitated about his mom's story and her words of encouragement. "Am I really capable of this?" he questioned. "I guess it couldn't hurt to attempt it, after all, eventually, I do need to face my fears." Aiden rolled out of his bed, grasped his pen and notebook and sat down at his desk, resolute to compose a speech that would not be soon forgotten. Unsatisfied with mediocrity, each draft he wrote was superior to the preceding one. The next morning, Aiden shuffled into his English class weary and anxious, but primed to excel.
11
And now, as he stood vacillating on the edge of the coarse, seasoned diving board, it evoked the feeling of gratification that overtook him after he delivered his speech that day. Even though that was almost two years ago, the sense of accomplishment was just as pervasive as he reminisced on that life-changing event. He wasn't just an orator that day, he also ascertained that he had more strength than he fathomed. Now, as his mother's words once again reverberated in his head, he knew it was time for him to have faith in himself again, and he almost laughed at how puerile he had been in being so timorous. "Come on Aiden, you can do it!" he heard Gavin bellow at him from below. Creeping his toes over the edge of the diving board, he felt the familiar confidence and inner-strength that he once knew and now coveted. He eased backwards, and then taking a forward stride with his left foot, he bounced on the diving board, sprung into the air and, with arms flailing, he plunged into the sapphire water. The chlorine filled his nostrils and his skin rejoiced at the alleviation of the cool water. It was anything but graceful, but he felt like he had faced his fears and conquered the world.
Multiple Choice Question
Why does the author begin the story in the present, shift to the past, and then finish back in the present?
A.
so that the reader stays engaged and does not get bored
B.
so that the reader learns about the background of the character and is better able to determine his motivations
C.
so that the reader can determine previous external conflicts in the main character's life and therefore better understand the overall theme of the story
D.
so that the reader is engrossed in a complex plot with intricate characters and multiple conflicts.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The best choice for why the author begins the story in the present, shifts to the past, and then finishes back in the present is:
**B. so that the reader learns about the background of the character and is better able to determine his motivations.**
This choice highlights how the flashbacks to Aiden's past experiences provide context for his current feelings of anxiety and personal growth, which enriches the reader's understanding of his motivations and character development.
**B. so that the reader learns about the background of the character and is better able to determine his motivations.**
This choice highlights how the flashbacks to Aiden's past experiences provide context for his current feelings of anxiety and personal growth, which enriches the reader's understanding of his motivations and character development.