Question

mawmaw’s biscuits
1
as meredith crept soundlessly toward the door, she almost made her escape, but her grandmother’s keen eyes caught her. despite mawmaw’s snowy white hair and sweet, lilting voice, meredith was not deceived; this woman possessed the gaze of a predator. since the family had arrived for their visit, mawmaw had fervently insisted on teaching her the fine art of making biscuits from scratch—flour, butter, milk, salt, sugar, and baking powder, the entire array of ingredients. mawmaw’s biscuits were delectable, but at home, biscuits came conveniently from a can.
2
“meredith,” mawmaw called, insisting on using meredith’s full name instead of her nickname, meri. mawmaw simply refused to abbreviate anything, from her grandchild’s name to her culinary techniques. “help me make biscuits. perhaps one day you can prepare them for your family. that way, you will always have a piece of me with you.”
3
the weight of the request bore down on meredith. cooking was foreign to her, as her life revolved around the frenetic pace of ballet, soccer practice, and homework. but more pressing was the fear of disappointing mawmaw after being specifically selected for this task. mawmaw’s biscuits held significant familial importance, but what if meredith lacked the talent to be a cook?
4
meredith cast a wistful glance at the door, hoping for a swift reprieve, but she felt her grandmother’s voice pull her back like an invisible tether. they began their endeavor by sprinkling flour across the butcher block, mawmaw cautioning, “not too much flour. biscuits are delicate; you must handle them with care—overwork them, and they lose their light, flaky perfection. remember, patience and a gentle touch are just as important as the ingredients...
5
read this sentence from the text.
“the first time i made biscuits, my brother hurled them at the crows in the garden.” (paragraph 6)
how does this line of dialogue help resolve the plot’s conflict?
a. meredith understands that it takes time to learn to make the best biscuits.
b. meredith discovers that she can learn more about mawmaw by having lessons with her.
c. meredith understands that passing on the technique is a family tradition.
d. meredith realizes there are many uses for biscuits.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The dialogue is about Mawmaw's past, not about time to learn. Eliminate.
• Option B: The dialogue doesn't relate to learning more about Mawmaw via lessons. Eliminate.
• Option C: Mawmaw's story of her brother and the biscuits, along with her wish for Meredith to pass on the technique, shows it's a family tradition. This resolves the conflict of Meredith's fear of disappointing by connecting to family legacy.
• Option D: The dialogue isn't about uses of biscuits. Eliminate.

Answer:

C. Meredith understands that passing on the technique is a family tradition.