Question

in the previous excerpt, the author states that, \as always, i was nervous but also excited\ to begin school at tank elementary. which of the details below offers a contrast to this statement?

• i quickly became friends with some classmates. i liked jane, who was tall, clumsy, blond, and kind.

• finally, there was justin, the kid i wanted more than anything to be like. justins hair was always in place, he wore clean sweaters and nice pants, and more important, he was always pleasant and kind. of all the students in the class, he was the most well - liked by mrs. wilford, a wonderful teacher who cared very much for me...

• a boy named kevin once invited me to play at his house. it was the first time i had been in an americans house, and i was amazed at the number of toys kevin had, especially tonka trucks.

• i fought back when i was picked on for being different or for not speaking english well, when i was taunted for supposedly eating dogs and cats, and when i was called ethnic slurs...

Explanation:

The original statement expresses nervous but excited feelings about starting school. A contrasting detail would show negative, distressing experiences that go against the initial excited/nervous (but overall anticipatory) tone. The first three options describe positive or neutral school experiences (making friends, admiring a classmate, a playdate), while the last option details being bullied, taunted, and targeted for being different—this directly contrasts the initial positive-tinged nervous excitement.

Answer:

I fought back when I was picked on for being different or for not speaking English well, when I was taunted for supposedly eating dogs and cats, and when I was called ethnic slurs...