Question

read the story. the correspondent 1 there was a longstanding mystery in my family that revolved around my father and his sister, my aunt allison: she and my dad never got along. i didnt know why. but whenever i pressed my dad, he wouldnt tell me anything. he said they were like \oil and water\—they just didnt mix. 2 as an aspiring journalist, i wasnt buying it; i knew there had to be some dirt. my grandparents upcoming fiftieth wedding anniversary party would give me the chance to find it. 3 the event was held in a lodge at the top of mount pronghorn, a favorite based on the first and second paragraphs, what does isabella mean when she says \there had to be some dirt\? she worries that her grandparents anniversary will be a disaster. she thinks her dad is hiding something from her. she believes the past is buried and not worth investigating. she trusts her dads explanation about why he and allison dont get along.

Explanation:

In the first paragraph, Isabella's dad refuses to tell her why he and Aunt Allison don't get along. In the second paragraph, as an aspiring journalist (someone who uncovers truths), she says "there had to be some dirt". "Dirt" here means some hidden information or secret. Since her dad was hiding something (not telling her the real reason), this phrase implies she thinks her dad is hiding something from her. The other options:

• There's no indication she worries about the anniversary being a disaster.
• She clearly wants to investigate (as she sees a chance in the anniversary party), so the idea that the past is not worth investigating is wrong.
• She says "I wasn't buying it" (didn't believe her dad's explanation), so she doesn't trust his explanation.

Answer:

She thinks her dad is hiding something from her.