Question

read the excerpt from \wherefore art thou romeo?\
but i didnt sleep. i thought about how utterly
miserable it would feel to mess up on stage, plus get a
vile grade in english class, plus watch allison gloat. i
got up before my alarm went off, arrived at school
early, and slogged through the day like a sleepwalker.
finally the last bell chimed.

eady?\ shondra asked, when we were alone again
in the spare classroom. we had two hours until we had
to meet our teacher backstage.
which statement best describes how the pacing of
events heightens tension?
○ the slow pace highlights how exhausted the
narrator was on her big day.
○ the slow pace gives the narrator time to carefully
plot out her next move.
○ the fast pace intensifies the conflict between the
narrator and allison.
○ the fast pace increases the narrators urgency in
learning her lines.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the excerpt's pacing and each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt's pacing (narrator's thoughts, actions like getting up early, slogging through day) is slow, but the focus isn't on exhaustion. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The slow pace (thinking about fears, moving through the day slowly) allows the narrator to reflect and plan (e.g., arriving early, slogging through, then preparing with Shondra). This matches as the slow pace gives time for internal plotting.
• Option 3: The excerpt has a slow pace, not fast, and there's no intense conflict with Allison shown. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The pace is slow, and the excerpt doesn't emphasize urgency in learning lines (it's about the day leading up to the event). Eliminate.

Answer:

B. The slow pace gives the narrator time to carefully plot out her next move.