Question

read the passage. then answer the questions that follow.
the restaurant
it was four thirty on a tuesday afternoon at antonios mexican restaurant, which meant that the dinner rush was right around the corner. there was an electricity in the air as the workers prepared for the busiest hours of the day, anticipating the pending chaos. stacks of tortillas sat next to the grill, ready to be loaded with ingredients and transformed into tacos, quesadillas, and burritos.
on the char grill, a cook placed thin strips of chicken along the grates in neat lines that sizzled. another cook was taking the grilled pieces of meat and chopping them into smaller pieces. across the kitchen, workers pulled metal pans of beans and rice out of the oven and scooped them into smaller containers so that they would be ready to portion out and serve. everyone worked in tandem, like a well - oiled machine.
as five oclock grew closer, online order tickets began spitting out of the printer. what began as the occasional ticket turned into a steady stream of printing. the kitchen was like a city bus, and it picked up speed as it headed onto the highway.
\gonna be a doozy tonight,\ the lead cook said as he pulled another ticket from the printer and pinned it to the
which phrase from the passage best supports the urgent tone in the passage?
(a) began as the occasional ticket
(b) she pulled a tortilla off the grill and rolled it
(c) cooks shouting reminders to each other
(d) the ringing of the phones began to taper off

Explanation:

• Option A: "began as the occasional ticket" does not convey urgency.
• Option B: "she pulled a tortilla off the grill and rolled it" is a normal action, no urgency.
• Option C: "cooks shouting reminders to each other" implies a busy, urgent situation as they need to communicate quickly.
• Option D: "the ringing of the phones began to taper off" indicates a decrease, not urgency.

Answer:

C. cooks shouting reminders to each other