Question

questions 13 through 18 refer to the following. read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers. this passage is excerpted from a short story published in 2015. sofia and nathan have agreed to meet and explore a stream together. when they met at the culvert the next day, sofia was dressed in black again. her fingernails were also painted black. she led him south, down a gently curving street of assertive mansions, her black boots gliding over the sidewalk with steps that felt like flowing water to nathan. sofia was carrying a new map covered with topographical lines, and she studied it as they turned west and passed a buffet of overdone tributes to assorted architectural styles: a mini monticello here, a bloated tudor cottage there. “this street follows the old streambed,” sofia said. “the city burned it, like, a hundred years ago. but the water’s still flowing down there. in a big drainpipe.” a block later they reached another fence, and stood above another culvert from which the stream emerged, moving slower, wide and shallower, flowing into a tangle of branches and bushes. without a word sofia climbed the fence and landed with a splash in about an inch of water. “technically, i’m pretty sure this is trespassing,” nathan said as he followed her. sofia marched along the water, pulling back branches for him. where is this woman taking me? he wondered, and after a few paces he got his answer. as they entered an open space where the suddenly dry air seemed to vibrate under a liberated, ferocious sun. the space was a kind of meadow, framed by two mansions, each so abundant with backyard paraphernalia, nathan felt as if he’d entered the prop closet of a studio dedicated to making movies about suburban american excess. he saw competing steel barbecue machines with gauges and propane-tank attachments. one stood complete with a tiled-roof spanish - style mansion, the other at the base of a turret - topped moorish castle. it was ready to prepare the burgers for royalty. 18 which of the following best describes the structure of the passage? a the description of a trip leads to a broad generalization about travel. b a number of distinct incidents combine to form a coherent whole. c a sequential account of an activity sheds light on an individual’s character. d a conflict between two characters leads to a revelation about friendship.

Explanation:

The passage starts by describing Sofia and Nathan's plan to explore a stream. It then gives a sequential account of their actions as they walk, with details about their surroundings and interactions. Through this sequence of events, Sofia's bold and assertive character is revealed as she leads Nathan through various places and takes actions like climbing a fence. There is no broad - generalization about travel, no combination of distinct incidents in a non - sequential way to form a whole, and no conflict about friendship.

Answer:

C. A sequential account of an activity sheds light on an individual's character