Question

the land of red applesby zitkála-šá (excerpt)(1) there were eight children in our party of bronzed children who were going east with the missionaries. among us were three young braves, two tall girls, and we three little ones, judéwin, thowin, and i.(2) we had been very impatient to start on our journey to the red apple country, which, we were told, lay a little beyond the great circular horizon of the western prairie. under a sky of rosy apples we dreamt of roaming as freely and happily as we had chased the cloud shadows on the dakota plains. we had anticipated much pleasure from a ride on the iron horse, but the throngs of staring palefaces disturbed and troubled us.(3) on the train, fair women, with tottering babies on each arm, stopped their haste and scrutinized the children of absent mothers. large men, with heavy bundles in their hands, halted near by, and riveted their glassy blue eyes upon us.(4) i sank deep into the corner of my seat, for i resented being watched. directly in front of me, children who were no larger than i hung themselves upon the backs of their seats, with their bold white faces toward me. sometimes they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet. their mothers, instead of reproving such rude curiosity, looked closely at me, and attracted their childrens further notice to my blanket. this embarrassed me, and kept me constantly on the verge of tears.(5) i sat perfectly still, with my eyes downcast, daring only now and then to shoot long glances around me. chancing to turn to the window at my side, i was quite breathless upon seeing one familiar object. it was the telegraph pole which strode by at short paces. very near my mothers dwelling, along the edge of a road thickly bordered with wild sunflowers, some poles like these had been planted by white men. often i had stopped, on my way down the road, to hold my ear against the pole, and, hearing its lowselect the correct answer.what is the central idea of this text?a. leaving home is an opportunity for self-discovery.b. even in happy places, happiness is not guaranteed.c. when traveling alone, it is best to be cautious of others.d. new friendships can emerge in unexpected places.

Explanation:

The text describes the author's anxious, embarrassing journey to a new place they once anticipated happily. They are stared at by strangers, feel self-conscious, and are upset, showing that the "happy" new place (Red Apple Country) does not bring them joy, matching option B. Option A is incorrect as there's no focus on self-discovery; option C is wrong because they are not traveling alone; option D is incorrect as no new friendships are mentioned.

Answer:

B. Even in happy places, happiness is not guaranteed.