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Read the passage.

Jamal stood at the edge of the track. He pulled his hat brim lower to shade his eyes from the glare of the sun. He watched the crowd. Some
of the parents gazed silently over at the runners who were getting ready to compete. Other parents sat laughing and talking in the bright afternoon
sun. The sun felt good on Jamal's arms. His tee shirt rippled in the warm breeze.
Jamal leaned down to tie his shoes before the big race. As his fingers tugged on the laces, suddenly he could see himself back in Annapolis
in second grade, trying to tie a very small pair of laces. On that morning six years ago, Uncle Bill had showed up at Jamal's school to watch Jamal run
in the May Relay. Jamal had raised his hand in class when the teacher asked, "Who wants to run in the relay race this year?"
For Jamal, that was the most exciting experience in second grade. In bed, on many nights before the May Relay, he had thought about it. He
had tried to imagine how it would feel to run as fast as he could, as fast as the wind, pumping his muscles and propelling his body around the circle
of the track.
Then the day had arrived, the day of the big event. Uncle Bill had whispered in his ear, "Running feels good, Jamal. Lift your knees, focus
your mind, race along that path." Jamal had felt a surge of love for his uncle. "You're the best, Uncle Bill!"
Today, Uncle Bill was far from Jamal's school. No family had come to see Jamal compete on the track today, but the sun warmed his
shoulders and he smiled. "Running feels good, Jamal," he thought to himself. "Lift your knees, focus your mind, race along that path."
How is plot developed in this passage?
O 1. through personal conflict between Jamal and Uncle Bill
2. through comparison of Jamal's and Uncle Bill's outlooks on life
O 3. through resolution of Jamal's ill feelings based on memories of Uncle Bill
4. through flashback to a time when Jamal was inspired by Uncle Bill's coaching

1 Answer

6 votes

The correct answer is 4. Through flashback to a time when Jamal was inspired by Uncle Bill's coaching.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this excerpt, the narrator describes Jamal as he remembers an experience when he is about to run in a race. This is introduced in "suddenly he could see himself back in Annapolis in second grade". Moreover, the experience Jamal remembers is that during the second grade his Uncle Bill went to see him run and inspired him to run by telling him "Running feels good, Jamal. Lift your knees, focus your mind, race along that path". In this context, the author develops the story through a flashback of memory of the time Jamal was inspired by his uncle (Option 4).

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