Question

A Bad Start to a Good Morning

1 Jason awoke to the sound of his mother knocking on his bedroom door. “Jason, time to get up!” she called. He sat up with a jolt, noticing his alarm clock read 7:55 A.M. “I’m going to miss the bus again!” he groaned. He jumped out of bed, threw on his clothes, and ran down the stairs with only a minute to spare.
2 He was about to dart out the door when he realized he had forgotten his homework. “My lab report!” he exclaimed. He stood frozen in mid-step. If he got the lab report, he would almost surely miss the bus. If he didn’t get the report, he would lose points. “Aargh,” he cried, and raced back for the report. “Time to get organized!” his mother called as he raced past her.
3 Lab report in hand, Jason raced to the front door for the second time that morning, arriving just in time to hear the bus pulling away without him. Now, he would have to ride his bike to school, and he’d be late for science class. He took off on his bike, unaware that his day would soon take an unexpected turn.
4 Despite his fast pedaling, Jason got caught at the red light at the corner of Dunham. Sighing as he waited, he tried to think of an excuse he could use when he arrived late. Glancing at the side of the road, he noticed a butterfly on a bush. His science teacher was always talking about the life cycle of insects. As he watched, he realized it wasn’t just any butterfly, it was a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis! Jason watched in astonishment as it gradually unfolded its sapphire- and turquoise-colored wings. They looked like jewels, glimmering in the sun.
5 When he finally made it to school, Jason burst into his first period science class. Instead of giving his teacher an excuse, Jason gave a detailed description of the marvelous sight he had witnessed. When he finished, he sadly prepared himself for the reprimand that was sure to follow.
6 But Jason’s teacher smiled and said, “Sometimes, people don’t realize how much science has in common with poetry. Your description shows you have keen observational skills and a great way with words. Thanks for the reminder of the beauty of science. You get one extra credit point for your efforts, but let’s not be tardy again, Jason!”
7 Jason broke into a huge smile. His morning had gotten off to a bad start, but now things were looking up!



Which identifies an internal conflict in the selection and correctly explains how it advances the plot?
A. Internal Conflict: Jason struggles to understand what is happening to the butterfly.
How It Advances the Plot: by providing Jason with an interesting tale to tell, encouraging readers to feel sympathy for him later on in the story
B. Internal Conflict: Jason struggles to understand what is happening to the butterfly.
How It Advances the Plot: by providing Jason with an interesting tale to tell, establishing the main problem he will need to resolve in the story
C. Internal Conflict: Jason struggles to decide whether to go back for his lab report.
How It Advances the Plot: by causing Jason to miss the bus, encouraging readers to feel sympathy for him later on in the story
D. Internal Conflict: Jason struggles to decide whether to go back for his lab report.
How It Advances the Plot: by causing Jason to miss the bus, establishing the main problem he will need to resolve in the story

Answer 1

C

Jason’s internal struggle about whether to go back for his lab report directly leads to him missing the bus, which drives the story’s events (he bikes to school, is delayed, sees the butterfly, and ultimately earns extra credit).