No!" Natalie screamed in pure anguish.
She watched her treasured ceramic piece crash to the floor of the art class, in what seemed like slow motion. The piece shattered into irreparable shards—it was going to be Natalie’s showcase in her art portfolio.
Mrs. Ledbetter approached Natalie and gave her a gentle pat on the back. "That’s too bad," said Mrs. Ledbetter, in the most soothing voice she could conjure.
Natalie was amazed by Mrs. Ledbetter’s affection. She had been her toughest teacher by far, and she was only the art teacher. She had pushed Natalie to make her best artwork when she didn’t want to push herself. Without Mrs. Ledbetter, Natalie wouldn’t be an artist.
"Look at all my hard work," said Natalie, pointing at the broken pieces. "What am I going to do? How am I going to rework a piece that took me hours to shape, carve, and glaze? There’s absolutely no way I can finish in time to bring it to my interview for college. The broken piece was crucial to my portfolio—I’m no artist without it."
Natalie and Mrs. Ledbetter sat in complete silence, turning ideas in their head until they ached. When Natalie started to get up, Mrs. Ledbetter stopped her with, "Now, just wait here. There’s no need for such negativity. Look at these pieces on the floor—I know that you can’t glue them together because it would be first, a waste of time, and second, these shards of ceramic can make something more beautiful. Just think about it."
Natalie looked at the pieces and then looked at Mrs. Ledbetter. What is she talking about? I’m no artist. There’s no way I can make something beautiful out of something that is so broken and ugly. There’s absolutely no way, thought Natalie.
Mrs. Ledbetter got up and left Natalie alone in her self-inflicted misery. The loss consumed Natalie as she stared at the floor—she had put everything into that piece. She tore her eyes away from the pieces and looked at them again. She stared intensely at the pieces and knew right away what she was going to do. She began to pick up the larger pieces with her carvings still intact, and then she rummaged through the smaller pieces for unique shapes and colors.
Natalie could absolutely do something with them—she laid the pieces out on the floor and created an image with them. It was better than she had imagined; she was going to be amazing at the interview.
How does Mrs. Ledbetter's speech affect Natalie?
A. It makes her feel miserable about the situation.
B. It inspires her to glue the broken pieces together.
C. It motivates her to find a solution to her problem.
D. It shocks her because Mrs. Ledbetter is not caring.