The Roller Coaster Ride

Question

The Roller Coaster Ride

1 Henry had begged, pleaded, and promised to do all the household chores for a month if his parents would free him from captivity long enough to go to the state fair with his squad. He had commenced his campaign weeks earlier, knowing it would take time and persuasive arguments to convince his parents to relent. A humid summer of slaving in his family’s restaurant stretched out before him. His destiny had been sealed the minute his parents marched him down the block and revealed their secret; they had purchased an abandoned space that had once housed a restaurant. He’d been toiling in that now sparkling storefront since he was old enough to hand out plastic-coated menus. His parents practically lived there; they couldn’t loosen their grip even though they had hired a manager after many stressful days.

2 His sister, Sylvie, the favored child born eight years after Henry, had been more fortunate. By that time, his parents had determined that they could split their time between the restaurant and watching their daughter, so Sylvie got more attention and was not expected to work. Henry picked up the slack after school and they rotated through on weekends so that at least two of them were minding the dinner rush. He wasn’t usually bothered; Sylvie was his sister and her adoring brown eyes were really cute. Every now and then, though, he had a lingering feeling of jealousy when his friends were at parties or school football games, and he was at home with Sylvie pretending to have a grand time.
What does the author’s use of the word “toiling” in paragraph 1 imply about the work in the family’s restaurant?
The work in the restaurant is quite difficult.
The work in the restaurant is usually easy to do.
The work in the restaurant is unsafe for its employees.
The work in the restaurant is often rewarding for the workers.

Answer 1

The author's use of the word "toiling" in paragraph 1 implies that the work in the restaurant is quite difficult. The word "toiling" suggests hard work and struggle, indicating that Henry's experiences in the restaurant are laborious and demanding.