Question

the dog days of summer
read the passage and answer the following question(s).
the dog days of summer
school was almost out for the summer and jennifer was excited that her cousin marlene was coming to stay with her family for two months. summer was the one time of year she felt as though she had a sister. the girls were similar in that they were both thirteen years old and were the only girls in their families. jennifer lived in a small town outside of dallas, texas and marlene lived in san diego, california. whereas jennifer was outgoing, marlene was more on the quiet side.
for pretty much the whole first month of summer vacation last year, it seemed like their only topic of awkward conversation was about how their two home towns were different. by halfway through the summer, the girls discovered something they had in common that would bring them closer together and bring marlene out of her shell. thinking back on the memories of last summer, jennifer got excited thinking about the summer to come.
last summer was the first time marlene had come to stay with jennifers family—marlenes aunt, uncle, and cousins. at first, marlene pretty much kept to herself in the guest room. she was almost unapproachable. jennifer did not give up so easily. jennifer enjoyed interacting with people, so she knocked on marlenes door often and tried to spark conversation. that is when jennifer sensed sadness in marlenes voice. it was as if something were bothering her. jennifer wondered what had been going on at marlenes home and if maybe her parents were having troubles. whatever it was, marlene did not want to talk about it.
during marlenes visit last summer, jennifers parents agreed the family could get a dog (due mostly to jennifers begging). jennifer was quickly motivated to put all her research skills to use finding out which breeds of dog were hypoallergenic, the kind that do not cause allergies. whenever she would see a particularly adorable picture of a dog, she headed to marlenes room to show it to her. it confused jennifer how marlene turned away when she saw the pictures and seemed uninterested in jennifers research. then, one day, marlene broke down in tears and told jennifer about how much she missed her dog that recently got lost and was never found. jennifer felt terrible and did not bother her with dog photos anymore. after a few days, marlene approached jennifer and told her she wanted to help her find a dog to adopt. “and ive adopted a new attitude,” said marlene.
question 4.
d. the setting has little impact on the characters.
question 5.
which of the following statements accurately describe how character development, setting and plot interact in “the dog days of summer”? select two.
a. the summer setting provides the time and space for jennifer and marlene to bond, which drives marlenes emotional growth.
b. marlenes initial discomfort in a new environment creates tension that slows the plots progression.
c. the decision to adopt a dog serves as a turning point in the plot and helps marlene become more open and engaged.
d. the setting of the animal shelter is symbolic of marlenes emotional distance from her family.
e. jennifers outgoing personality contrasts with the quiet setting, creating conflict that remains unresolved.
question 6.
in what ways did marlene change after she stated that she had “adopted a new attitude” and helped jennifer find a dog? select two options.

Explanation:

In the story, the summer setting allows Jennifer and Marlene to spend time together and bond, which helps Marlene grow emotionally, supporting option A. Also, Marlene's initial discomfort in a new place creates tension that affects the plot's progress, backing option B. Option C is about the dog - adoption as a turning - point but doesn't directly address the interaction of character, setting and plot as strongly. Option D's connection between the animal shelter and Marlene's emotional distance is not well - supported in the text. Option E's claim about Jennifer's personality and the setting creating unresolved conflict is not evident. For Marlene's change, after adopting a new attitude, she becomes more engaged in helping Jennifer find a dog, showing increased social interaction and a more positive outlook.

Answer:

Question 5:
A. The summer setting provides the time and space for Jennifer and Marlene to bond, which drives Marlene's emotional growth.
B. Marlene's initial discomfort in a new environment creates tension that slows the plot's progression.
Question 6:
(No options provided in the question text for Question 6 to list here. But in general, look for options that show increased social interaction and a positive change in attitude like helping with dog - finding activities.)