Question

a good place for maggie
by orelia dumas lachman (excerpt)
for the last hour she had been so intent on the changing countryside that
she forgot to buy gas. the gauge said empty. she drove on, dreading the
moment when the motor would draw on the last drop of gasoline and give
up. she was driving on a narrow country road lined with tall eucalyptus trees
and nothing else. then in a clearing on the left side of the road, she saw a
battered old sign with faded red letters: g-a-s. no, it wasnt a mirage; it was
more like a miracle. with a grateful sigh she turned into the
run-down station, bumping over broken concrete and coming to a stop by
one of two pumps.
a weary-looking old man in grease-spotted overalls appeared beside her.
\fill er up?\
\is it cheaper if i pump it myself?\ it didnt look as if hed take a credit card
and she was low on cash.
\all the same here, missy,\ the man called, rounding the car. \fill er up?\
maggie said yes, please go ahead, and climbed out of the blue vw. good
thing i didnt splurge on lunch, she thought, staring at the pumps. gas is
almost twice as high up here as it is in los angeles. but im not complaining.
when she had driven mile after mile without finding a gas station, she had
begun to think that maybe being sixteen and a half didnt make her that
smart; maybe a trip like this was a little much for her. now she felt better.
she stretched and thought, dad would be proud of me. im doing what is
right for me. oh, ill miss my friends, especially mim and lorena. ill even
miss ryan. i wonder if he was really going to ask me to the tgi june bash?
well, thats history. now is now.
2
select the correct answer.
which statement best expresses why the author most likely includes the last paragraph in this excerpt?
a. to create a sense of tension regarding maggie’s need for gas
b. to create conflict between maggie and her friends at home
c. to create conflict between the gas station attendant and maggie
d. to create a sense of tension about maggie’s decision to leave home

Explanation:

• Option A: The last paragraph focuses on Maggie's thoughts about her trip and leaving home, not just the gas need. The gas tension was resolved with the station. So A is incorrect.
• Option B: The last paragraph has no mention of friends at home or conflict with them. So B is incorrect.
• Option C: The interaction with the attendant was civil, no conflict. So C is incorrect.
• Option D: The last paragraph has Maggie reflecting on leaving home, missing friends, and her decision. This creates tension about her choice to leave, matching D.

Answer:

D. to create a sense of tension about Maggie’s decision to leave home