The day was finally here. Cynthia had been looking forward to it since that morning when she showed her parents the ad for the concert. It was perfect. Cynthia had spent all month laying in the groundwork. She continued to remind her parents that her favorite singer was playing on her birthday. There was not a doubt on her mind that she wouldn't get tickets. She even made sure three of her closest friends were free that night.
Cynthia jumped out of bed and put on the brand-new outfit she bought for the event. She skipped down the hallway like a kindergartener and sat down for breakfast. Cynthia's mother already had her favorite banana pancakes on the table waiting for her.
"Happy Birthday," her mother exclaimed. "Do you want your gift now or later after cake?"
Cynthia's grin cut across her entire face. "I'll take it now!" She almost screamed.
Her mother left the room and came back with a small rectangular box. A perfect box to hold concert tickets. Cynthia thought to herself, I hope the seats are good. She took a deep breath, opened the box, and froze in sorrow.
"I hope you like it. It's just like the one that singer you like wears," Cynthia's mother smiled with pride.
Cynthia tried to hold back tears. She swallowed and managed a smile.
"Thank you," she whispered as she stared at the metallic pin. "It's just what I wanted."
Read the story X Marks the Spot:
Jonah had a long day ahead of him. His mother volunteered him to help clean out his grandfather's attic. He was already there for over an hour, and there was still so much work to be done. He began to rifle through some old papers when he noticed a thicker and larger folded piece of paper. Jonah unfolded the paper and to his surprise and glee he realized that he is unfolding a map, and not just any map. This map had a bunch of lines that led to a giant X. This was a treasure map.
Getting a closer look, Jonah realized that this a map of his own town. "I wonder the treasure could be," he thought to himself. He refolded the map and put it in his back pocket as he continued to clean.
The next day, Jonah told his friend Marisol to meet him at the town hall. He made sure to tell her to prepare for an adventure. When they met, he showed her the map. "I bet it's gold," said Marisol, "Back in olden days people used to bury their gold so no one would find it." Jonah could not stop thinking of all the things he could by with his riches.
Jonah and Madison spent the next few days tracing every point of the map. While they traveled to each spot, they talked about what they wanted to do with the treasure. Jonah couldn't wait to buy a dirt bike and Marisol wanted to take her family on cruise. Finally they reached the X. "I guess we dig," said Jonah. They took out their shovels and started digging until something clinked. Oh my goodness, it's real!" exclaimed Jonah.
Together Jonah and Marisol took out the box and opened it. "What is.." Marisol's voice trailed off. Inside the box was a note that said, "My treasure" and inside was a handful of rusted bottle caps. Jonah and Marisol did not look at each other the rest of the way home in fear of showing their disappointment.
Both stories are about characters experiencing disappointment. How do the authors use the events to illustrate how the characters feel?
A.In The Gift, Cynthia's mother is upset that Cynthia did not like the present she bought. In X Marks The Spot, Marisol is angry at Jonah for wasting her time.
B. In The Gift, Cynthia is so excited about her birthday that she doesn't even care what she gets. In X Marks the Spot, Jonah is thankful that his grandfather created a great adventure for him.
C. In The Gift, when Cynthia does not get her concert tickets, she begins to cry but tries to hide it. In X Marks the Spot, when Jonah and Marisol realize there is no real treasure, they go home with their heads down in silence.
D. In The Gift, when Cynthia sees that she is not getting the tickets, she feels relieved that she does not have to choose between friends. In X Marks The Spot, Jonah and Marisol are so excited about their treasure hunt, they don't even care about what they find.