Question

ivy b. mccaan
on monday, brock walked down his street to the corner where he met up with brandon and gave him the customary fist bump to say hello. with their backpacks slung over one shoulder, they continued to the bus stop and waited with other students for the bus to carry them to school. aboard the bus, passengers looked dreamily out the windows as they pulled along, planning for the day in their near future when a learner’s permit might free them from the boring bus ride. after school, brock and brandon joined back to their neighborhood on bus #47. the routine didn’t change on tuesday. on wednesday, an unexpected snowfall greeted them on their walk home; on thursday, it rained.
“nothing ever happens in this boring neighborhood,” brock lamented on friday morning. little did he know that his life would change forever on their walk home that day.
exiting the bus, brandon began telling brock about his grand experiment fail when he tried to demonstrate gravity for his class presentation and knocked over his whole presentation apparatus along with most of the stuff on mr. prescott’s desk.
“well, you definitely demonstrated gravity,” brock chuckled.
“hey, did you hear about that new tv show? this morning my dad said they were going to be filming it right here in pleasant valley,” brandon said.
1
how does the author’s decision to set much of the story on a school bus affect the plot?
a. it dramatizes the boys’ unwillingness to learn to drive.
b. it emphasizes the monotony of the boys’ lives.
c. it symbolizes the boys’ steady progress toward their goals.
d. it focuses attention on the boys’ desire to learn.

Explanation:

• Option A: The story doesn't focus on the boys' unwillingness to learn to drive, so this is incorrect.
• Option B: The text describes the boys' daily routine (walking to corner, taking bus to school, same routine on Tuesday, etc.) and mentions "the routine didn't change on Tuesday" and a boring neighborhood. Setting the story on a school bus (part of daily routine) emphasizes the monotony of their lives, which matches this option.
• Option C: The bus ride is part of their daily routine, not a symbol of steady progress toward goals (no indication of progress toward goals via the bus).
• Option D: The story doesn't focus on their desire to learn; it focuses on their daily routine.

Answer:

B. It emphasizes the monotony of the boys’ lives.