Question

this excerpt is from turtle boy by m. evan wolkenstein. will and rabbi harris are discussing the forty hours of community service that will needs to complete before he can have his bar mitzvah. will was supposed to volunteer at a soup kitchen, but he quit.

1. \i hear you had a little trouble over the summer with your community service,\ he says. \care to share what happened?\
2. \i guess im not a soup guy,\ i say.
3. \i wonder if you gave it a fair try,\ he says. ..
4. seeing im not going to respond, he nods with some finality. \well, you dont have to worry,\ he says. \this sunday afternoon, youre going to visit someone really special. his name is ralph and hes sixteen, but hes been in the hospital for a long time and could use the company of a great guy like yourself.\
5. did he say \hospital\?

6.
o, no. i cant,\ i say definitively. \i dont do hospitals.\

1. \hospitals can be scary places,\ he says. \but youll love ralph. and ill be right there to support you.\
2. im filled with cold terror. he cant support me. he doesnt understand. he doesnt know that i need to stay as far away from hospitals as possible.

how do paragraphs 4-8 contribute to the development of the storys plot?
choose 1 answer:
a they provide background information that shows why will fears hospitals.
b they provide a resolution to the problems will has been facing at school.
c they introduce a conflict that will require will to face his fears.
d they introduce a new character who bullies will at the hospital.

Explanation:

1. Option A is incorrect: Paragraphs 4-8 establish Will's fear of hospitals but do not explain why he fears them.
2. Option B is incorrect: The text does not mention school problems, nor do these paragraphs resolve any existing issues.
3. Option C is correct: Rabbi Harris assigns Will a new community service task involving a hospital visit, which directly conflicts with Will's stated terror of hospitals, setting up a conflict where Will must confront his fear.
4. Option D is incorrect: The new character Ralph is described as needing company, not as someone who bullies Will.

Answer:

C. They introduce a conflict that will require Will to face his fears.