Question

read the passage and choose the best answer to each question.
twins again
by éric picholle
translated by sheryl curtis

1. ship-time: january 8, 2033 09:15:00

earth-time: november 17, 2032 11:21:17
time: 16 years old today!
mama’s turning 45 soon.
(1)i have a clock accelerated. i left it, even before checking my clock, the one that runs by ship’s time; i’ve spent
enough time watching her clock slowly count off the seconds for the better part of two years to know its pace, one
second for one roughly every ten seconds. one of macha’s heartbeats for ten of mine—her own twin! but right now, it’s
closer to one for eight.
(2)that can only mean one thing: the astronomers have detected a likely planet, and we’ve started to decelerate. i’m
probably the first one on the bridge to know, apart from the bridge crew and the engineers, of course. and tom, maybe.
tom is the only other twin on board the ss pool longview. he has two clocks in his cabin as well—for the stupid
psychological study, i guess. i doubt if anyone is seriously considering this far - fetched idea of interstellar telepathy.
tom thinks it’s all about advertising; they did take a lot of shots of us standing next to our two 14 - year - olds,
tom and frank... i even thought it sounds too identical when you say it like that. two sets of identical twins, two 13 - year - old girls and two 14 - year - old boys.
how does the science fiction setting contribute to the development of the plot?
○ locating a new planet...
○ different clocks with... characters.
○ space travel causes the characters... to stay connected to
their siblings.
○ living on a small spaceship together complicates the relationship
between the characters.

Explanation:

To answer the question "How does the science fiction setting contribute to the development of the story’s plot?", we analyze each option:

1. "Locating a new planet…" – The passage focuses on time dilation (ship vs. Earth time) and twin dynamics, not the planet’s role in plot development. Eliminate.
2. "Different clocks with changing…" – The passage emphasizes time dilation (ship’s clock vs. Earth time, and twin heartbeats) as a core sci - fi element. This directly ties to plot: the time difference (ship time vs. Earth time, twin heartbeats) creates tension/development (e.g., the narrator’s experience of time and twin relationships).
3. "Space travel causes the characters…" – The passage does not mention "struggle to stay connected" due to space travel. Eliminate.
4. "Living on a small spaceship…" – The passage does not highlight relationship complications from shared spaceship living. Eliminate.

Answer:

The option (the second one, with the description "Different clocks with changing… (exact wording as per the option)") is the correct answer. (Note: Since the exact option text isn't fully visible, but based on analysis, the option about different clocks/time dilation is correct.) If we assume the options are labeled, for example, if the second option is B, then "B. Different clocks with changing… (the relevant description)"