Question

read the draft of tyler’s short story.

alafair exhaled deeply, standing up abruptly from her desk. anything to get away from the mocking cursor on her computer. she meandered over to the window, her eyes touching the sweeping panoramas of her grandmother’s farm. she could see the cows mooing, idling, munching on grass. further on were the rows and rows of corn and soybeans her grandfather and uncles had planted. she sighed. what was she looking for? an answer? an inspired thought? she pondered the endless prairie horizon stretching beyond and beyond... to where? “to nowhere,” she stated out loud. but she needed to gather her thoughts and get back to work; that essay was not going to write itself.

alafair sat back down at her desk, but her mind wandered. ________

tyler wants to add some details to further develop alafair’s mood of discontent.

which description, if added to the blank, would best achieve tyler’s goal?

1. she felt certain that one day she would travel the world. she would keep journals and write down her experiences in them every day. first, though, she would need to buy some journals.

1. she wished she lived someplace more exciting, like a city. she would park herself in a cafe and observe an endless parade of actors and other interesting people. then she would have something to write about.

1. she remembered that she had another essay to write for her history class. fortunately, that essay was not due until the end of next week. she enjoyed historical research, so that essay would probably be quite fun to write.

1. she wondered what other people used to spark creativity when they struggled to write an essay. she considered calling her best friend, lisa. she picked up the phone and then recalled that lisa was at marching band practice and unavailable.

Explanation:

To determine the best option, we analyze how each choice contributes to Alafair's mood of discontent. Option 1 focuses on future travel plans, which doesn't show discontent. Option 2 shows her wishing for a more exciting place (like a city) instead of her current rural setting, highlighting dissatisfaction with her environment, which aligns with discontent. Option 3 mentions enjoying a history essay, which is positive and doesn't support discontent. Option 4 is about seeking creativity help, not expressing discontent. So Option 2 best develops her discontent.

Answer:

1. She wished she lived someplace more exciting, like a city. She would park herself in a cafe and observe an endless parade of actors and other interesting people. Then she would have something to write about.