Question

neldas adieu

1. on a frigid, autumn day, nelda stood on the banks of the river that crept its way through her hometown. she was immersed in memories of the countless blissful summer hours shed spent swimming and picnicking there with her friends. images of bygone summers at the river eased through her mind like a movie in slow motion. the images were as clear as yesterday: days so hot that no one wanted to sit on the bank and rest between swims; tiny, green - brown grass snakes wriggling across neldas new grandmothers rainbow - colored picnic quilt; sunburned skin soothed by ice packs; last summers new sky - blue bathing suit and neon - green water shoes. moving away and starting a new life in another state would be difficult, almost as difficult as it had been to beat tracy in a swimming race to the nearest tree that muggy july day. that tree, with its feet planted solidly in the lazy, muddy depths of the river, never failed to trigger the same triumphant elation nelda had felt when shed beaten tracy for the first time. it had been no easy task, since tracy was a stellar swimmer and had won best all - around school athlete awards almost every year.

nelda watched the biting november wind rattle the leaves of that tree that stood resolute far out in the river. the wind pressed in on neldas shoulders, humming in her ears, bringing with it shivers and still more fragments of elusive memories. so audible were the clamoring voices of her friends in those memories that she almost turned to see if any of them had followed her. perhaps they had come to help her say a temporary goodbye to the spot where theyd spent so much of their summer leisure time. no, she was definitely alone, but like the tree in the river, she would always have friends and people around her who looked to her, who loved her. nelda squared her shoulders and scrambled up the bank, determined not to let the cold dampen the anticipation she felt.
part a:
c. nelda relies on tracy and fears she will not find a friend like tracy in her new neighborhood.
d. nelda really likes tracy, but neldas parents would like nelda to have different friends and spend less time with tracy.
part b:
which detail from the text best supports your answer from part a?
a. moving away and starting a new life in another state would be difficult, almost as difficult as it had been to beat tracy in a swimming race to the nearest tree that muggy july day.
b. the wind pressed in on neldas shoulders, humming in her ears, bringing with it shivers and still more fragments of elusive memories.
c. the move to another state, because of her parents employment relocation, would be stressful, but exciting. there would be new friendships to form.

Explanation:

The text describes Nelda's memories and her feelings about moving to another state due to her parents' employment - related relocation. It mentions her concerns about leaving behind friends like Tracy and the difficulty of starting anew. Option A focuses on the difficulty of starting a new life in a new state. Option B is about memories being triggered by the wind. Option C is about the excitement of new friendships in the new place. Option D is about Nelda's preference for Tracy - like friends in the new neighborhood. The text emphasizes the challenge of starting over in a new state, which is best supported by Option A.

Answer:

A. Moving away and starting a new life in another state would be difficult, almost as difficult as it had been to beat Tracy in a swimming race to the nearest tree that muggy July day.