Question

the birthday surprise
isaac turned pale as he looked at the mess he had made in the kitchen. the eggs and bacon were burnt to black shards on the frying pan, cooking oil had spilled out of the broken bottle and was all over the floor, the pancake batter had turned lumpy and dry, and the washcloth had dark stains from the coffee powder that isaac had spilled and wiped off the counter.
oh, this is the worst morning mom could possibly have for her birthday, isaac thought, as he grabbed a fresh cloth to clean the oil from the floor. it was his mothers birthday, and isaac had woken up early to prepare breakfast. he wanted to surprise mom with breakfast in bed and tell her to take the day off. now, looking at the mess he had created, he realized that not only would mom not get a day off, she would also have to work extra to help him clean up the mess in the kitchen.
while he was scrubbing the floor, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen. mom was up! isaacs heart began beating wildly. his mother walked into the kitchen and froze in her tracks when she saw the storm isaac had raised in the kitchen.
im sorry, mom! i was trying to make you breakfast to surprise you for your birthday. i never stopped to think about how terrible i could possibly be at cooking, isaac said, going red in his cheeks.
for a moment, his mother did not react. then, a small smile appeared on her face and she hugged isaac.
its alright, sweetheart. you meant well, so there is no reason to feel sorry, she said
which of the following actions contributes to the theme?
a. isaac tries to clean the spilled oil from the floor.
b. isaac apologizes to his mother for making a mess.
c. isaac wakes up early to make breakfast for his mother.
d. isaac decides to take the breakfast to his mothers bed.

Explanation:

The story's theme likely revolves around Isaac's effort to do something nice for his mother (making breakfast for her birthday). Option C shows Isaac's initial action of waking up early to make breakfast for his mother, which is the starting point of his attempt to celebrate her birthday. Options A and B are about dealing with the mess (after the initial action of trying to make breakfast), and option D is a part of the breakfast - making plan but not as fundamental as the act of waking up early to make breakfast in terms of contributing to the theme of Isaac's effort for his mother's birthday.

Answer:

C. Isaac wakes up early to make breakfast for his mother.