Question

What is the effect of the flashback in the first paragraph of "Tornado Watch"?Sydney’s description of the efforts made to build a secure home after the first tornado helps readers understand why her family feels so safe during the second tornado.Sydney’s focus on the material things that she lost in the first tornado helps readers understand why she tries to save her prized possessions in the second tornado.Sydney’s reflection on the impact of the first tornado helps readers understand why facing a second tornado is especially challenging for the family.Sydney’s frustration with the changes to her home after the first tornado helps reader understand why she is unconcerned about potential damage from the second tornado.Read the passageAs Sydney unlocked the back door, she sighed at how easily it opened. She used to have to put her shoulder in just the right spot to force their old door to open. They’d had this new back door, this new house, for not quite a year. "It should feel like home by now," she thought sadly before greeting her dog Charlie, a spunky beagle with big brown eyes. Three years ago, a tornado had torn through their town, decimating everything in its path, and their house had been part of the decimation. It took two never-ending years, but Sydney’s family rebuilt their house with the help of a very generous insurance check, and, according to her mom and little sister, the new house was an improvement. Sydney could admit it was a little bigger and even a little nicer—the back door didn’t stick anymore, for example—but she preferred their old house, even with all of its imperfections.

Answer 1

The effect of the flashback in the first paragraph of 'Tornado Watch' is that Sydney’s reflection on the impact of the first tornado helps readers understand why facing a second tornado is especially challenging for the family.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effect of the flashback in the first paragraph of 'Tornado Watch' is that Sydney’s reflection on the impact of the first tornado helps readers understand why facing a second tornado is especially challenging for the family.

In the passage, Sydney reflects on the devastation caused by the first tornado and the long process of rebuilding their house. She acknowledges that the new house may be bigger and nicer, but she still prefers their old house with all its imperfections.

This flashback helps readers understand that Sydney and her family have already experienced a traumatic and difficult time due to a previous tornado, making it even more challenging for them to face another one.