Question

Read these passage excerpts.

Family Treasures

As I stood there and watched my friends, I realized I felt surprised. Surprised by their interest in my extended family, surprised that Dylan was laughing and slapping his dominoes as though he had been playing for years, and surprised that Jerome enjoyed listening to my father ramble on about our family recipes. But the biggest surprise was how I felt—honored to belong to this large and passionate family.

Legacy

Pagano’s farm, Angelo’s legacy, has sustained four generations of my family, the Paganos. I placed the translations of the letters on top of the fragile yellowing letters, retied them with a fresh green ribbon, and returned them to the attic. They could wait there so the next generation could discover their history. I hoped that they would be as inspired by Angelo’s words as I had been. Farming was a difficult life, but the optimism and determination I had read in Angelo’s letters inspired me to go out once again and sink my hands into the rich soil and plant sweet basil.

What is the common theme in these excerpts?


Family secrets should be kept safe.


Family obligation should always come first.


Family heritage can be a source of pride.


Family traditions can be a burden.

Answer 1

Family heritage can be a source of pride.

Both passages emphasize pride in family history and traditions—feeling honored to belong to a passionate family and being inspired by ancestral letters and the family farm.