Question

mary did not skip, but walked. she walked slowly and kept her eyes on the ground. she looked in the old border beds and among the grass, and after she had gone round, trying to see nothing, she had found ever so many more sharp, pale green points, and she had become quite excited again. \it isnt a quite dead garden,\ she said out softly to herself. \even if the roses are dead, there are other things alive.\ she did not know anything about gardening, but the grass seemed so thick in some of the places where the green points were pushing their way through that she thought they did not seem to have room enough to grow. she searched about until she found a rather sharp piece of wood and knelt down and dug and weeded out the weeds and grass until she made nice little clear places around them.
ow they look as if they could breathe,\ she said, after she had finished with the first ones. \i am going to do ever so many more. ill do all i can see. if i havent time today i can come tomorrow.\ from frances hodgson burnett, the secret garden
what do marys goals for the garden suggest about her personality?
her gardening technique suggests that she is frustrated by untidiness.
her determination to find signs of life in the garden hints that she is generally optimistic.
her desire to sneak back into the garden shows that she enjoys breaking rules.
her sudden plans for the garden imply that she is flighty and easily distracted.

Explanation:

• The first option is incorrect: Marya's gardening actions (working steadily, clearing weeds) do not show frustration with untidiness; she acts purposefully to revive the garden.
• The second option is correct: Marya actively searches for signs of life (green points) in the seemingly dead garden and feels excited by them, which reflects an optimistic outlook as she focuses on potential growth.
• The third option is incorrect: The text does not mention sneaking back or rule-breaking; her focus is on the garden's life, not defying rules.
• The fourth option is incorrect: Her plan to return the next day shows consistency, not flightiness or distractibility.

Answer:

Her determination to find signs of life in the garden hints that she is generally optimistic.