Question

read the passage.

i stared at the chaos surrounding allen, astounded that one small child could inflict such damage in so little time: eggs were broken on table and floor, their shells crunching underfoot as allen tracked them back and forth, leaping about and merrily singing a tune learned at nursery school. just ten minutes earlier, the basket of eggs, fresh from aunt ella’s hens, were perched innocently on the kitchen table; now they were the equivalent of my little brother’s box of crayons.

“well,” said aunt ella, clearing her throat as she studied the scene, “allen appears to have artistic tendencies. let’s record his work for posterity.” and she raised her cell phone to photograph the dramatic smears of yellow, punctuated by bits of crushed shell and the small impressions of toddler - sized shoes.

how is the phrase artistic tendencies used in the passage?

1. to emphasize the idea that allen has a natural inclination to create chaos
2. to indicate aunt ella’s mild - mannered reaction to the scene in the kitchen
3. to suggest the narrator’s dismay at both the mess and aunt ella’s reaction to it
4. to show both allen’s careful and deliberate design and his use of unique materials

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option 1: The passage shows Allen creating chaos (broken eggs, tracked shells) and Aunt Ella jokingly calls this "artistic tendencies" to imply his natural inclination to create such chaos (treating the mess as if it's artistic creation).
2. Analyze Option 2: The phrase is about Allen, not Aunt Ella's reaction tone, so this is incorrect.
3. Analyze Option 3: The phrase is Aunt Ella's comment, not about the narrator's dismay, so incorrect.
4. Analyze Option 4: Allen's actions are chaotic, not careful/deliberate design, so incorrect.

Answer:

1. to emphasize the idea that Allen has a natural inclination to create chaos