The Summer of El Pintor

Question

by Ofelia Dumas Lachtman

Lucia was a narrow street lined with small houses fronted by dry patches of lawn. Old pepper trees, whose branches hung limply over the scattered red berries below them, grew alongside the curbs. On a dusty driveway two teenage boys in grease-spotted T-shirts were working on a torn-down car. They shot glances in their direction. Monica shrank into the black leather of the bucket seat. She wanted to hide. But why? She took a deep breath, sat up, and forced herself to look around again. The morning mist was completely gone. The sun was strong and bright, intensifying the color of a row of potted marigolds on the front porch of one of the houses.

Excerpt from "Summer of El Pintor" by Ofelia Dumas Lachtman is being reprinted with permission from the publisher (©Arte Público Press - University of Houston)

Question
Use the excerpt from “The Summer of El Pintor” by Ofelia Dumas Lachtman to answer the question.

Which sentence or sentences from the passage help readers determine the story’s setting?

(1 point)
Responses

Monica shrank into the black leather of the bucket seat.
Monica shrank into the black leather of the bucket seat.

The morning mist was completely gone. The sun was strong and bright, intensifying the color of a row of potted marigolds on the front porch of one of the houses.
The morning mist was completely gone. The sun was strong and bright, intensifying the color of a row of potted marigolds on the front porch of one of the houses.

They shot glances in their direction.
They shot glances in their direction.

She wanted to hide. But why? She took a deep breath, sat up, and forced herself to look around again.

Answer 1

The sentence that helps readers determine the story’s setting is:

"The morning mist was completely gone. The sun was strong and bright, intensifying the color of a row of potted marigolds on the front porch of one of the houses."

This sentence provides details about the time of day (morning), the weather (mist gone, bright sun), and visual descriptions that give a sense of place (potted marigolds, houses), creating a clear setting for the story.