Question

Excerpt from 'The Storm' by McKnight Malmar

She inserted her key in the lock and turned the knob. The March wind snatched the door out of her hand and slammed it against the wall. It took strength to close it against the pressure of the gale, and she had no sooner closed it than the rain came in a pounding downpour, beating noisily against the windows as if trying to follow her in.

She breathed a sigh of thankfulness at being home again and in time. In rain like this, the crossroads always were flooded. Half an hour later her cab could not have got through the rising water.

There was no light anywhere in the house. Ben was not home. She had imagined him sitting by the fire, surprised and delighted to see her early. But now, alone and with the storm battering the house, she felt frightened to be so far from other people.

The wind howled around the corners of the little house. She regretted moving to the far suburbs. There were no neighbors nearby. She had loved the quiet—when Ben was with her. But now, the storm made the house feel empty and unsafe.

She hung her coat and stood before the mirror, trying to fix her wind-blown hair. She didn’t really see her reflection. She was listening—to the storm, and to something else. Was it footsteps outside? Was someone watching?



In the Third Source, why does the author mention the “rising water” and the “flooded crossroads”?





A.
To suggest a different view that storms are exciting challenges rather than real dangers for people.

B.
To provide evidence that real conditions limit choices, supporting the idea that careful decisions are necessary.

C.
To restate the story’s main point at the end, so readers remember the narrator’s opinion.

D.
To add setting details that create an atmosphere but do not change what the character must do.

Answer 1

B.

The mention of "rising water" and "flooded crossroads" shows a real consequence of the storm — it limits her options (her cab couldn't have made it later) and explains why getting home when she did mattered.