Question

Which sentence from the passage shows how the setting impacts the plot?

Best Kept Secrets
I don't like keeping secrets. I would never betray a friend's confidence, but keeping secrets-even noble ones-seems to
maneuver me to disaster every time. And this week's secret keeping resulted in no small catastrophe that I'm 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," I'm
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 couldn't 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.
"Oh, Cayden, my boy," he began, "these are not just good reads, they are good friends who should be read again and again." He
began to hand me one book after another as we walked to class. "Stand with Scout on Boo's porch and learn to see things from
someone else's perspective. Laugh and grieve and laugh again with Anne Shirley at Green Gables. Accompany Tom along his
mischievous and dangerous escapades as his Aunt Polly worries."
By the time we entered the classroom and everyone yelled "Surprise!", I was loaded with six hefty novels to read. What started as
a mere diversion to surprise a beloved teacher resulted in a long, but enjoyable, summer reading program for me!

Answer 1

The sentence that shows how the setting impacts the plot is: "By the time we entered the classroom and everyone yelled 'Surprise!', I was loaded with six hefty novels to read."

Explanation:

The setting impacts the plot by initiating an unexpected consequence due to the protagonist's interaction in the teachers' lounge hallway. The setting, being in the vicinity of the English teacher's domain, leads Cayden to encounter Mr. Grayson and inadvertently engage in a conversation about literature. This interaction directly results in Cayden being loaded with six hefty novels, altering his summer plans.

The physical space of the hallway, where Cayden tries to execute the plan, intertwines with the unexpected encounter, setting off the chain of events that drastically change Cayden's summer agenda. Thus, the setting directly influences the plot progression, steering the story toward Cayden's unexpected reading list and impacting the outcome of his summer.

Answer 2

The sentence from the passage that shows how the setting impacts the plot is: 'And this week's secret keeping resulted in no small catastrophe that I'm certain my friends will still be rehearsing even at graduation three years from now.' The setting of the story, which includes the retirement party for the English teacher, leads to a series of events that result in a catastrophe and drives the plot.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sentence from the passage that shows how the setting impacts the plot is: 'And this week's secret keeping resulted in no small catastrophe that I'm certain my friends will still be rehearsing even at graduation three years from now.'

This sentence indicates that the setting of the story, which includes the retirement party for the English teacher and the surprise the narrator helps set up, leads to a series of events that result in a catastrophe. The setting of the party and the actions that take place there have a direct impact on the plot by creating conflict and driving the story forward.