Question

best kept secrets
by b. mcswain
i dont like keeping secrets. i would never betray a friends confidence, but
keeping secrets—even noble ones—seems to maneuver me to disaster every time.
and this weeks secret keeping resulted in no small catastrophe that im certain my
friends will still be rehearsing even at graduation three years from now. it all started
when my friends garrison and tyce asked me to help them surprise our
english teacher, who has been teaching english since \judgment\ was spelled
\judgement.\ im pretty sure. i told them not to drag me into the secret, but they
needed me to keep mr. grayson out of the room long enough to set everything up.
on the appointed day, i ventured into the hallway outside the teachers lounge so i
could ambush mr. grayson with questions the guys provided me. mr. grayson looks
after he incurs an electrical shock. i can depend on him having a stack of hardback
classics under his arm, which serendipitously came in handy when i accidentally
bumped into him as he exited the lounge. suddenly, the floor was tiled in a mosaic
of classics, and this was a good thing because i couldnt remember one question i
was supposed to ask him. as i helped him pick up the books, it occurred to me to
ask about his favorite reads.
he began to hand me one book after
another as we walked to class. \stand with scout on boos porch and learn to see
things from someone elses perspective. laugh and grieve and laugh again with
anne shirley at green gables. accompany tom along his mischievous and
dangerous escapades as his aunt polly worries.\
by the time we entered the classroom and everyone yelled \surprise!\, i was
convinced that being used as a mere diversion to surprise a
beloved teacher resulted in a long, but enjoyable, summer reading program for me!

what is the best objective summary of the passage?
a. garrison and tyce their friend cayden into keeping a big secret and keeping their english teacher out of the classroom while they set up for a
surprise retirement party. the surprise is on cayden when the teacher gives him a long summer reading list.
b. cayden, who doesnt like to keep secrets, has to divert his english teachers attention, while his classmates set up a surprise retirement party for
their english teacher. in so doing, cayden receives a ridiculously long summer reading program.
c. cayden doesnt like to keep secrets nor does he read good books, but he has to prevent his english teacher from walking into the classroom too
early and spoiling a surprise. instead, he ends up with a long, boring summer reading list.
d. cayden and his friends try to surprise their retiring english teacher with a party, but when cayden is assigned to detain the teacher, he accidentally
causes him to drop an armload of books. before the party begins, cayden is given a summer reading program.

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Explanation:

• Option A: Says Garrison and Ty force Cayden, but the passage shows Cayden is asked (not forced) and the surprise being on Cayden about the reading list is correct, but the "forcing" part is wrong.
• Option B: Correctly states Cayden doesn't like secrets, diverts the teacher's attention while classmates set up the party, and he gets a long summer reading program. This matches the key points: Cayden's secret - keeping dislike, his role in diverting the teacher, the party setup, and the reading list outcome.
• Option C: Claims Cayden doesn't read good books, but the passage says the books are "good reads" and "classics", so this is incorrect.
• Option D: The passage says the party happens (they enter the classroom and yell surprise), but this option says "before the party begins", which is wrong. Also, the focus on the book - dropping is a minor detail, not the main summary.

Answer:

B. Cayden, who doesn't like to keep secrets, has to divert his English teacher's attention, while his classmates set up a surprise retirement party for their English teacher. In so doing, Cayden receives a ridiculously long summer reading program.