Question

read the excerpt from \broken chain.\ his mother clipped coupons from magazines and newspapers, kept a vegetable garden in the summer, and shopped at penney’s and k - mart. their family ate a lot of frijoles, which was ok because nothing else lasted so good, though one time alfonso had chinese pot stickers and thought they were the next best food in the world. why does soto most likely include this characterization of alfonsos mother in the story? to show that she uses a variety of foods when she cooks for her family to support the idea that the family does not have money to spend on braces to show what a close relationship alfonso has with his mother to support the idea that alfonso does not always appreciate his family

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The passage focuses on the mother's frugal habits (clipping coupons, gardening, shopping at budget stores) and the family's limited food variety (mostly frijoles), not showing a variety of foods she cooks. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The mother's actions (clipping coupons, having a vegetable garden, shopping at affordable stores) suggest the family is frugal. This supports the idea they might not have money for braces (a costly item), which fits with the story's context about Alfonso's appearance concerns.
• Option 3: The excerpt describes the mother's actions, not interactions between Alfonso and his mother that show a close relationship. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The excerpt doesn't show Alfonso's lack of appreciation for his family; it's about the mother's habits and a brief mention of Alfonso's liking for pot stickers. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. to support the idea that the family does not have money to spend on braces