Question

The Journey
B. Haq

I was hoping to catch the early bus on that humid and muggy Sunday morning. My parents had been waiting across the border to pick me up. They had told me to get there with the first bus, as it got jam-packed in the terminal with each bus pouring hundreds of poor workers from abroad into my country. My country was an exceptional land –prosperous and bustling with wealthy tourists. It stood in such contrast to where I had been for the last several days. Poor, dirty, and in shambles.

My maternal relatives lived in a neighboring country. I had gone there to visit my grandparents, aunts, and uncles, whom I had always wanted to meet. I immediately recognized my grandmother from the photos my mother had shown me growing up.

Growing up, I also remembered the stories she told me every night of wonder and curiosity from her childhood. Her stories sometimes came reluctantly, as if she wanted to erase those memories from her mind but felt obligated to relate them to me. Other times, the stories readily sprouted forth from her sweet mouth in her calm voice. During those moments, I tightly embraced her and looked at her in amazement. I was so proud of her for her struggles and triumphs over poverty, amidst the lack of opportunities.

I had an extra joyful time with my loved ones. They wanted me to stay longer. I loved them, but I loved my comfortable life in my homeland more. Alas, it was time to say goodbye and get on the bus home. I was melancholy as I hugged and kissed my grandma, who was even more sorrowful than I was.

It was approximately a four-hour journey, but it felt much longer than that. As I rested my head against the window covered with dirty drapery and closed my eyes, I wondered why time crawled when I wasn’t in one of my most radiant moods.

In my head, though, it was another scene as thoughts hurtled through my mind one after the other, trying to grab my attention first. Consequently, my mental fatigue physically made me sluggish. I was exhausted and couldn’t pick and choose which one was more worthy of my energy and time to start with. I decided to let my thoughts get the best of me.
Question
Which two details from the passage best reveal the narrator’s feelings about leaving family and returning home?
Responses
A I immediately recognized my grandmother from the photos my mother had shown me growing up.I immediately recognized my grandmother from the photos my mother had shown me growing up.
B I was melancholy as I hugged and kissed my grandma, who was even more sorrowful than I was.I was melancholy as I hugged and kissed my grandma, who was even more sorrowful than I was.
C My country was an exceptional land – prosperous and bustling with wealthy tourists.My country was an exceptional land – prosperous and bustling with wealthy tourists.
D As I rested my head against the window covered with dirty drapery and closed my eyes, I wondered why time crawled when I wasn’t in one of my most radiant moods.As I rested my head against the window covered with dirty drapery and closed my eyes, I wondered why time crawled when I wasn’t in one of my most radiant moods.
E I tightly embraced her and looked at her in amazement. I was so proud of her for her struggles and triumphs over poverty.I tightly embraced her and looked at her in amazement. I was so proud of her for her struggles and triumphs over poverty.

Answer 1

B and C.

B shows the narrator’s sadness at leaving family (“I was melancholy…”), and C shows why the narrator is drawn to return home—the country’s prosperity and comfort.