Question

at the ball game
\i have a surprise, finn,\ grandma said,
holding an envelope with our names,
inside were tickets to the arena
for the womens basketball game.
5 i didnt know much about basketball.
would it be fun? time would tell.
but since i was to stay with grandma,
i was sure it would go well!
our seats were right next to the court.
10 we watched the teams start to play.
first, one team had the basketball
then the other took it away.
the players ran up and down the court
making passes and shooting free throws.
15 each player was strong and fast
and they were also very tall!
there was a player named cheryl
and i thought she was the best.
she shot one basket after another
20 scoring more points than the rest.
one of the players dribbled so fast
the basketball slipped from her hands.
it quickly bounced across the court
headcd toward my seat in the stands!
25 the ball landed in my lap with a thud.
i was surprised. how could this be?
the crowd got quiet as everyone stared
but then cheryl came over to me.
\pass the ball, little man,\ she said,
30 giving me a smile and a wink.
i tossed it right into her hands
and she ran off before i could blink.
cheryls team scored the most and won.
as the game ended, she waved my way
35 i waved back, turned to grandma, and said,
\i loved this game! its been the best day!\

2
read lines 1 - 4.
\i have a surprise, finn,\ grandma said,
holding an envelope with our names.
inside were tickets to the arena
for the womens basketball game.

why is the first stanza important to the rest of the poem?
a. it explains who finn wants to win the basketball game.
b. it explains the surprise grandma has for finn.
c. it explains how finn feels about going to sporting events.
d. it explains why grandma takes finn to the basketball game.

Explanation:

The first stanza introduces Grandma telling Finn she has a surprise, then reveals the surprise is basketball tickets. This sets up the entire event of going to the game that the rest of the poem describes, so it establishes the core surprise that drives the poem's plot.

Answer:

B. It explains the surprise Grandma has for Finn.