Question

tradition
by george middleto
ollivant. affectionately. glad to be home again, mary?
mary. evasively. the garden is so pretty.
ollivant. hasn’t changed much, eh?
mary. it seems different; perhaps it’s the night.
ollivant. i guess it isn’t up to its usual standard. haven’t seen your mother
there so often this spring.
emily. quietly. this dry spell is not good for flowers.
ollivant. turning to emily and patting her. is there any of that spray
mixture left, emily, dear?
emily. i haven’t looked lately.
ollivant. i’ll order some to - morrow. think it would be a good idea,
daughter, if you’d spray those rosebushes every couple of weeks. the bugs
are a pest this spring.
ollivant goes to the mantel, and while his back is turned, mary makes
a quick questioning gesture to her mother, who sighs helplessly. mary
ponders a moment.
use the lines below to answer the question.
what conclusion can be drawn about the characters, based on this
excerpt?
(1 point)
○ ollivant and his wife disagreed about how to raise mary.
○ mary and her father have a tense relationship.
○ mary and her father used to love gardening together.
○ ollivant and his wife have a strong, loving marriage.

Explanation:

Ollivant speaks affectionately, but Mary responds evasively (avoiding his question about being home). Her quick questioning gesture to her mother when Ollivant’s back is turned and the mother’s helpless sigh further suggest underlying tension between Mary and her father. Other options lack evidence: no mention of Ollivant’s wife in the excerpt to support disagreement or a strong marriage, and no indication of past gardening together.

Answer:

Mary and her father have a tense relationship.