Question

Read the following story.

The Group Project
Xavier was so busy color-coding his notes that he almost missed the announcement that their next project was to create a video about a prominent historical figure from the Renaissance. Xavier could feel his excitement building as he considered the options. Michelangelo? Leonardo Da Vinci? Queen Elizabeth I?
Then, his teacher mentioned it was a group project. Even worse—he had already assigned the groups, an announcement that prompted general grumbling and groaning. Xavier kept quiet, even though he hated group projects. He didn't really like working with other people, and he always ended up doing all of the work anyway.
Xavier's group consisted of Jordan, who zoned out during class; Mia, who was always tardy; and Leo, whose favorite activity was cracking jokes. Xavier settled on Michelangelo for the subject of his team's video and spent the evening writing up a detailed script, assigning only small roles to his group members.
At their first meeting, Xavier handed out copies of the script and started explaining how he planned to film the opening scene. Mia interrupted his long-winded explanation.
"Wait—how come you already wrote a script? I thought we were supposed to work together." She looked upset, and so did Jordan and Leo. Xavier was surprised they cared.
Over the next hour, Xavier made an effort to listen as Leo shared his ideas about how to make the video more entertaining. Xavier actually liked a lot of his suggestions, and he could see how Leo's sense of humor could improve the script. Mia also had some good thoughts about how to add in other characters, and Jordan had access to several costumes and props that would be perfect. Xavier had to give up on several of his ideas, and it was difficult to resist taking charge of the conversation, but by the end of their meeting, the team had an excellent plan.
After two long weeks of script meetings, camera work, and digital editing, screening day finally arrived. The short film was a hit with the class—the other students loved the creative dialogue and unique costumes, while their teacher was impressed with the historical accuracy. Xavier grinned, thankful he had been assigned to such a strong group.

Which two themes are found in the story?
A. Trusting others can lead to better outcomes.
B. Cooperation teaches patience and compromise.
C. With the right leadership, a team can overcome great obstacles.
D. It's important to build lasting friendships.

Answer 1

A and B.

A — Xavier trusted his teammates' ideas (Leo's humor, Mia's characters, Jordan's props), and the final video was better for it.
B — Xavier had to be patient, listen, and compromise (giving up some ideas and resisting taking charge) to reach a strong group plan.