Question

read the passage from \two kinds.\

in spite of these warning signs, i wasnt worried. our family had no piano and we couldnt afford to buy one, let alone reams of sheet music and piano lessons. so i could be generous in my comments when my mother bad - mouthed the little girl on tv.

\play note right, but doesnt sound good! no singing sound,\ complained my mother.

\what are you picking on her for?\ i said carelessly. \shes pretty good. maybe shes not the best, but shes trying hard.\ i knew almost immediately i would be sorry i said that.

\just like you,\ she said.
ot the best. because you not trying.\ she gave a little huff as she let go of the sound dial and sat down on the sofa.

the little chinese girl sat down also to play an encore

what conflict occurs in the passage?

an internal conflict within the mother, who wishes she could buy more things for her family

an internal conflict within the narrator, who wants to perform better than the little girl on the talent show

an external conflict between the narrator and her mother over whether the girl on television is playing well

an external conflict between the narrator, who wants to play piano, and her mother, who cannot afford to buy one

Explanation:

1. Analyze the first option: The mother's concern here isn't about buying more things (the passage focuses on the piano - playing girl's performance and the narrator - mother interaction about it), so this is incorrect.
2. Analyze the second option: The narrator's internal conflict isn't about outperforming the TV girl (the narrator defends the girl and has a conflict with the mother over the girl's performance, not an internal desire to outperform), so this is incorrect.
3. Analyze the third option: The mother criticizes the TV girl's playing ("Play note right, but doesn't sound good! No singing sound"), and the narrator defends her ("She's pretty good... she's trying hard"). This is an external conflict (between two people) over whether the girl on TV is playing well.
4. Analyze the fourth option: The passage doesn't show the narrator wanting to play piano (the family can't afford a piano, but there's no indication the narrator wants to play; the conflict is over the TV girl's performance, not piano - buying), so this is incorrect.

Answer:

an external conflict between the narrator and her mother over whether the girl on television is playing well