Question

read the excerpt from dominiques narrative.

\\(^1\\) tired of waiting for the bus, which was late for the fifth day in a row, i sat leafing through an old magazine i had stuffed in my purse the previous night. \\(^2\\) it was terribly warm for a september afternoon, and the sun cast transitory shadows on the bus stop sign with each car that passed. \\(^3\\) i fleetingly wondered when the weather would get cooler and when the new bus driver would start arriving on time. \\(^4\\) it was about then that i first noticed the apparent agitation of the man sitting next to me.

\\(^5\\) finally, the bus arrived and ambled to a gradual stop directly in front of the restless man. \\(^6\\) the doors widened, and the bus driver greeted the man with his usual banter in his usual monotone.

\\(^7\\) \good afternoon. how are you today?\

which sentence would best create a strong, descriptive image in the readers mind if it were added after sentence 4?

he was casting quick, sideways glances in the direction the bus should be coming from, and his left foot beat a steady rhythm on the hot pavement.
all of the mans actions and mannerisms clearly indicated his distress, and i could not help staring at him while we waited for the bus to finally arrive.
the mans behaviors led me to guess that he was anxious about something, and i wondered if the tardy bus could have caused such upset in someone.
in fact, he appeared to be so aggravated that i thought for a second that he would explode with anger, but then he just sat down and silently waited.

Explanation:

Analyze the prompt and target location

The question asks for a sentence to add after sentence 4 that best creates a strong, descriptive image in the reader's mind. Sentence 4 states: "It was about then that I first noticed the apparent agitation of the man sitting next to me."

Evaluate the options for descriptive imagery

• Option 1: "He was casting quick, sideways glances in the direction the bus should be coming from, and his left foot beat a steady rhythm on the hot pavement." This option uses concrete sensory details ("quick, sideways glances", "foot beat a steady rhythm", "hot pavement") to show the man's agitation visually and auditorily.
• Option 2: "All of the man's actions and mannerisms clearly indicated his distress..." This option tells the reader about the distress rather than showing it with descriptive imagery.
• Option 3: "The man's behaviors led me to guess that he was anxious..." This option explains the narrator's internal thoughts and labels the behavior as "anxious" without painting a vivid picture.
• Option 4: "In fact, he appeared to be so aggravated..." This option relies on telling ("aggravated", "explode with anger") rather than showing through sensory details.

Select the best option

Option 1 is the only choice that uses strong sensory details and descriptive imagery ("showing, not telling") to illustrate the man's agitation.

Answer:

• (A) He was casting quick, sideways glances in the direction the bus should be coming from, and his left foot beat a steady rhythm on the hot pavement. (Correct answer)
• (B) All of the man's actions and mannerisms clearly indicated his distress, and I could not help staring at him while we waited for the bus to finally arrive.
• (C) The man's behaviors led me to guess that he was anxious about something, and I wondered if the tardy bus could have caused such upset in someone.
• (D) In fact, he appeared to be so aggravated that I thought for a second that he would explode with anger, but then he just sat down and silently waited.