Question

read the excerpt from a genetics of justice by julia alvarez.
passage a
given this mandate of silence, i was a real thorn in my mother’s side.
she had named me, her second of four daughters, after herself—so we shared the same name. of all her babies, she reports, i was the best behaved, until i learned to talk. then, i would not shut up. i always had to answer her back when i disagreed with her. childhood was rocky, but adolescence was a full-fledged war.
passage b
unfortunately for my mother, i grew up to be a writer publishing under my maiden name.
which statement correctly analyzes how the passages work together to create a central idea?
○ alvarez describes how her good behavior was an issue, or a thorn, for her mother.
○ alvarez contrasts her mother’s insistence on silence with her own desire to tell stories.
○ alvarez explains how her mother’s desires and temperament were similar to her own.
○ alvarez traces how her childhood behavior led her to become a successful writer.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The passage focuses on silence vs. storytelling, not good behavior being an issue. Eliminate.
• Option 2: Passage A shows mother’s insistence on silence (mandate of silence) and Alvarez’s desire to talk/tell stories (would not shut up). Passage B shows she became a writer (publishing, telling stories). This contrast holds.
• Option 3: The passages show differences (mother wants silence, Alvarez wants to tell stories), not similarities. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The passages don’t trace how childhood behavior led to writing success, just that she became a writer. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. Alvarez contrasts her mother’s insistence on silence with her own desire to tell stories.