Question

best kept secrets
by b. mcswain
i dont like keeping secrets. i would never betray a
friends confidence, but keeping secrets—even noble ones
—seems to maneuver me to disaster every time. and this
weeks secret keeping resulted in no small catastrophe that
im certain my friends will still be rehearsing even at
graduation three years from now. it all started when
garrison and ty had the bright idea to throw a surprise
retirement party for our english teacher, who has been
teaching english since \judgment\ was spelled
\judgement.\ im pretty sure. i told them not to drag me into
the secret, but they needed me to keep mr. grayson out of
the room long enough to set everything up. on the
appointed day, i ventured into the hallway outside the
teachers lounge so i could ambush mr. grayson with
questions the guys provided me. mr. grayson looks a lot
like einstein with white hair that sticks out everywhere like
a cartoon character after he incurs an electrical shock. i
can depend on him having a stack of hardback \classics\
under his arm, which serendipitously came in handy when
i accidentally bumped into him as he exited the lounge.
suddenly, the floor was tiled in a mosaic of classics, and
this was a good thing because i couldnt remember one
question i was supposed to ask him. as i helped him pick
up the books, it occurred to me to ask about his favorite
reads.
2
what is the best objective summary of the passage?
a. cayden doesnt like to keep secrets nor does he read good books, but he has to prevent his
english teacher from walking into the classroom too early and spoiling a surprise. instead, he ends
up with a long, boring summer reading list.

b. cayden, who doesnt like to keep secrets, has to divert his english teachers attention, while his
classmates set up a surprise retirement party for their english teacher. in so doing, cayden
receives a ridiculously long summer reading program.

c. garrison and ty force their friend cayden into keeping a big secret and keeping their english
teacher out of the classroom while they set up for a surprise retirement party. the surprise is on
cayden when the teacher gives him a long summer reading list.

d. cayden and his friends try to surprise their retiring english teacher with a party, but when cayden
is assigned to detain the teacher, he accidentally causes him to drop an armload of books. before
the party begins, cayden is given a summer reading program.
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Explanation:

• Option A: Incorrect as the passage doesn't say Cayden doesn't read good books, and the focus on the summer reading list being "boring" is not in the passage.
• Option B: Correct. It captures Cayden not liking secrets, diverting the teacher (to help classmates set up the surprise party), and getting a long summer reading program. The details match the passage.
• Option C: Incorrect. The passage says Cayden was not forced; he was asked, and he agreed. Also, the "surprise is on Cayden" part is not accurate as the passage doesn't imply that.
• Option D: Incorrect. The passage says the books dropping was a good thing (helped him detain the teacher), and the summer reading program is given after, but the description of the accident and the "before the party begins" detail is not accurate to the passage's focus.

Answer:

B. Cayden, who doesn't like to keep secrets, has to divert his English teacher's attention, while his classmates set up a surprise retirement party for their English teacher. In so doing, Cayden receives a ridiculously long summer reading program.