Question

which sentence from the passage best supports the conclusion that the author was influenced by amaterasu?

• tara was one of the brightest computer programmers her professor had ever seen.
• she shared her gifts by tutoring other students, many of whom were much older.
• it was a common sight to see her staying late in the library, huddled over her trusted, beat-up laptop, helping someone.
• so when she retreated with her laptop to her room and refused to leave, it created a wave of discontent at the school.

Explanation:

Analyze the mythological connection

We must connect the story's events to the Japanese myth of Amaterasu, the sun goddess. In Shinto mythology, Amaterasu retreats into a cave due to her brother's misbehavior, depriving the world of light and causing widespread panic and discontent. Applying Mythological Analysis, we look for a parallel action in the contemporary story where a central figure of "light" or "gifts" withdraws, causing negative consequences for the community.

Evaluate the textual evidence

Using Textual Inference, we examine the options to find the sentence describing this withdrawal and its immediate impact:

• Option 1 describes her intelligence.
• Option 2 describes her sharing her gifts.
• Option 3 describes her working late.
• Option 4 describes her retreating to her room and refusing to leave, which "created a wave of discontent." This directly mirrors Amaterasu shutting herself in the cave, causing darkness and distress.

Answer:

• (A) Tara was one of the brightest computer programmers the professor had ever seen.
• (B) She shared her gifts by tutoring other students, many of whom were much older.
• (C) It was a common sight to see her staying late in the library, huddled over her trusted, beat-up laptop, helping someone.
• (D) So when she retreated with her laptop to her room and refused to leave, it created a wave of discontent at the school. (Correct answer)