Question

save a kingdom by maggie murphy 1 in gethyn’s small island kingdom of wystivere, firstborn princes and princesses couldn’t count on ascending to the throne; rather, they confirmed their eventual right to rule by successfully passing a rigorous royal test administered at age 15. 2 as rose, the royal adviser, placed the key in gethyn’s palm, silver letters, as if by magic, engraved themselves across the comet’s tail on the key, forming the inscription he now read: “to rule wystivere, prince gethyn must save a kingdom.” 3 gethyn almost dropped the key. “save a kingdom? rose, i …” 4 “it does sound daunting,” rose acknowledged, “but remember, they are not mock situations contrived for the tests. within the confines of the oval, beyond this very door, an entire kingdom is in dire need of your assistance, just as all of wystivere will one day depend on your leadership if you ascend to the throne.” she offered encouragement with a prodding touch of gethyn’s shoulder, “begin, gethyn.” 5 within the oval, enchanted acres stretched unconfined by the wall’s measurements. the slender spires of a city rose in the distance, reread paragraph 4. why does the author include paragraph 4? a. to establish the magic key as the item that must be found during the search b. to establish that rose is brave and more deserving of a role as ruler c. to establish that gethyn is lacking bravery d. to establish rose as a mentor who helps gethyn succeed

Explanation:

Paragraph 4 shows Rose acknowledging Gethyn's hesitation, explaining the real stakes of the task, and encouraging him to begin. This frames her as a guiding figure supporting his success. Option A is incorrect because the key's role was set earlier. Option B is wrong as the paragraph focuses on Gethyn, not Rose's fitness to rule. Option C is incorrect because while Gethyn is nervous, the paragraph's main purpose is not to highlight his lack of bravery, but Rose's mentorship.

Answer:

D. to establish Rose as a mentor who helps Gethyn succeed