Question

angela began having trouble sleeping at night. she dreamed of failing the final exam not because she didnt know the material, but because she froze and forgot her speech. every classmates presentation she watched meant she was one step closer to having to present herself. when the day arrived, angela couldnt eat breakfast, and she had to get through math and history before science. she couldnt concentrate at all. her heart pounded as mr. marx called her name. she gathered her notecards with shaking hands and slowly walked to the front of the room. \tadpoles,\ she began, \are frogs or toads at the beginning of their life cycle.\ whew, she thought. the first sentence came out. then, something happened that she did not expect at all. she relaxed. once she began, the words flowed out. she could see mr. marx start to smile and nod encouragingly. after weeks of dreading this moment, she couldnt believe how quickly the presentation passed. \so,\ she said brightly, after her presentation concluded. \does anyone have any questions about tadpoles?\ which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story? thoroughly preparing for a challenge can make it seem less scary. waiting to do something can be worse than actually doing it. knowing the truth about something can be freeing.

Explanation:

Angela was extremely anxious before her presentation, having trouble sleeping and concentrating. But once she started, it went smoothly and quickly. This shows that the anticipation and waiting were more difficult for her than the actual act of presenting.

Answer:

Waiting to do something can be worse than actually doing it.