Question

not the same old same old
by b. mcswain
on monday, brock walked down his
street to the corner where he met with
brandon and gave him their customary tired
fist bump to say hello. with their backpacks
slung over one shoulder, they continued to
the bus stop and waited with other students
for the bus to carry them to school. aboard
the bus, passengers looked dreamily out the
windows as they jostled along, planning for
the day in their near future when a learner’s
permit might free them from the boring bus
ride. after school, brock and brandon jostled
back to their neighborhood on bus #47. the
routine didn’t change on tuesday. on
wednesday, an unexpected breeze greeted
them on their walk home; on thursday, it
rained.

othing ever happens in this boring
neighborhood,\ brock lamented on friday
morning. little did he know that his life would
change forever on their walk home that day.
exiting the bus, brandon began telling
brock about his grand experiment fall when
the tried to demonstrate gravity for his class
presentation and knocked over his whole
presentation apparatus along with most of
how does the author’s decision to set much of the story on a school bus affect the plot?
a. it focuses attention on the boys’ desire to learn.

b. it dramatizes the boys’ unwillingness to learn to drive.

c. it emphasizes the monotony of the boys’ lives.

d. it symbolizes the boys’ steady progress toward their goals.

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Explanation:

The story describes the boys' daily routine on the school bus, with phrases like "routine didn't change" and "Nothing ever happens" to show monotony. Option C says the bus setting emphasizes the monotony of their lives, which matches the text's depiction of repetitive, unchanging days. Option A is wrong as there's no focus on a desire to learn. Option B is incorrect as the bus scene doesn't dramatize unwillingness to drive. Option D is wrong because the bus routine is monotonous, not symbolic of steady progress.

Answer:

C. It emphasizes the monotony of the boys' lives.