Question

read the excerpt from \like mexicans\

we talk for an hour and had apple pie and coffee, slowly. finally, we got up with carolyn taking my hand. slightly embarrassed, i tried to pull away but her grip held me. i let her have her way as she led me down the hallway with her mother right behind me. . . . carolyn waved again. i looked, back, waving. . . . her people were like mexicans, only different.

which best explains how soto’s text structure helps establish his voice in the excerpt?

a) soto compares his experience to his wife’s experience in order to criticize marriage in a multicultural society.

b) soto lists a series of events to present guidelines on how to live in a multicultural society.

c) soto relates a story from his life to make a point about what it means to live in a multicultural society.

d) soto uses a cause-and-effect format to show how a person’s heritage can limit his or her marriage choices.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt doesn't compare his experience to his wife's; it's a personal anecdote, so this is incorrect.
• Option 2: The text is a personal story, not a list of guidelines, so this is wrong.
• Option 3: Soto retells a personal experience (talking, having pie/coffee, interacting with Carolyn and her mother, waving) to illustrate a point about multicultural society ("Her people were like Mexicans, only different"), so this fits.
• Option 4: There's no cause - effect about heritage limiting marriage choices; the text is more about sharing an experience, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

C. Soto retells a story from his life to make a point about what it means to live in a multicultural society.