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
question 3.
part a:
how does the plot contribute to marlenes character development in the story?
a. marlene becomes more withdrawn as the plot progresses, showing how time away from home increases her discomfort.
b. marlenes involvement in adopting and caring for a dog helps her become more open and emotionally connected.
c. marlenes character remains mostly unchanged, showing that her environment has little effect on her personality.
d. marlene becomes more competitive with jennifer, which creates tension and drives the plot forward.

Explanation:

In the story, Marlene starts off withdrawn but through adopting and caring for a dog, she opens up and becomes more emotionally connected, which shows character development.

Answer:

B. Marlene’s involvement in adopting and caring for a dog helps her become more open and emotionally connected.