Question

blake glanced around the dining table at his family. he would miss them during his trip to australia, but he suppressed his excitement of a month in a foreign environment would hold homesickness at bay. “so are you going to come back as a famous writer?” asked his younger brother. “the brand prize is a college scholarship in a writing program, but truthfully the only thing i’m planning on is returning to have the chance to go on this adventure. if he won the scholarship, it would simply be icing on the cake. blake didn’t feel that he lacked self - confidence, but rather he felt that his attitude was realistic. he felt grateful for the opportunity he had. decidedly closed her suitcase. she couldn’t be more prepared for her journey. for years, she had dreamed of an opportunity to participate in this writing contest in australia. winning the scholarship would ease the difference between going on to university after graduation and going to work in her uncle’s shop in galway. siobhan was determined to stay focused on the goal and not be distracted by social interactions with the other writers and the allure of tourist trips into the outback. siobhan was not about to let her tenacity wane when she was so close to the prize. which statement describes how the author uses parallel plots to develop the characters in the passage? 1. parallel plots create a sense of expectancy about what will happen to each character in australia. 2. parallel plots emphasize the contrast between the ambitions and motivations of each of the main characters. 3. parallel plots allow the reader to better understand how the characters will feel when they are away from home. 4. parallel plots set a tone of mystery and suspense about how the characters have become involved in their conflict.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The passage doesn't create a sense of expectancy about future events through parallel plots.
• Option 2: The parallel plots (Blake's and Siobhan's stories) emphasize the contrast between their ambitions/motivations. Blake is more realistic about the scholarship, while Siobhan is tenacious and focused on her goal despite distractions. This matches how parallel plots can highlight character differences.
• Option 3: The passage doesn't focus on helping readers understand characters' feelings away from home.
• Option 4: There's no mystery or suspense about characters' involvement in conflict set by parallel plots.

Answer:

1. Parallel plots emphasize the contrast between the ambitions and motivations of each of the main characters.