A Dose of Support.

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend.

Read this sentence from paragraph 15.

She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend.

What does the author’s use of figurative language in this sentence

help the reader understand?

• The burden Brittany feels about winning the competition

• The sense of relief Brittany feels from Alix’s presence

• The mutual respect Brittany and Alix have for each other

• The challenges in gymnastics that Brittany has had to overcome

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend.

In paragraph 10, what does the word solemn mean?

• Serious

• Confused

• Shocked

• Annoyed

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend

Which sentence supports the idea that Brittany is concerned about

her friendship with Alix?

• With that, Alix turned and headed toward the exit.

  (paragraph 4)

• Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining how she must

  have made Alix feel. (paragraph 9)

• Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a

  little shake. (paragraph 14)

• She saw Alix, giving two thumbs up, and Brittany envisioned the

  judges giving her the same gesture after her routine.

  (paragraph 15)

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend

Which sentence suggests that Brittany’s performance suffers

because of Alix’s absence?

• “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I

  was just trying to offer some advice.” (paragraph 4)

• Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and

  just two days were left until the competition. (paragraph 6)

• “You seem off your game, Brit—and you need to get it together

  by Saturday morning.” (paragraph 8)

• Brittany approached the edge of the mat with her head held

  high. (paragraph 15)

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend

How does the change of setting in paragraph 10 of the story

contribute to the plot?

• By causing Brittany to believe that Alix will not come to support

  her

• By increasing the pressure Brittany feels about her performance

• By revealing that Brittany has practiced as much as she can for

  the competition

• By highlighting the reason Brittany needed time apart from Alix

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend

Read this sentence from paragraph 14.

“You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens,

I’ll be cheering you on.”

How does this sentence support a primary theme of the story?

• By explaining that it is important to be honest with others

• By revealing that achieving a goal often requires eliminating

  distractions

• By suggesting that participating in athletic competitions can be

  stressful

• By showing that good relationships can withstand minor

  disagreements

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Brittany has been training for a gymnastics competition for several

months. Her best friend Alix has been coming to every practice and

cheering her on, but also critiquing Brittany’s performance—and

with the competition only a week away, Brittany is tiring of Alix’s

suggestions.

A DOSE OF SUPPORT

1 “Brittany, your routine looks great—the judges will be so

impressed!” Alix shouted and greeted Brittany with a hug after an

excruciating practice. “But tomorrow, it might help if you reduce the

number of flips toward the end of the routine so that it can look a

bit more polished—then you’re sure to get a perfect score.”

2 “Look, Alix,” Brittany interrupted, unable to hide her feelings. “I

know what’s best for my routine—I’ve been perfecting it for

months—and I can figure out what needs to be fixed, if anything.

I’ve got it from here.”

3 Alix frowned, clearly perturbed by Brittany’s response.

4 “I’m sorry, Brittany, I know you’re great at gymnastics, but I was

just trying to offer some advice. I just thought . . . never mind. I’ll

give you some space.” With that, Alix turned and headed toward the

exit.

5 Brittany felt a dark cloud above her, realizing she had driven her

friend away, but she refused to let her feelings distract her. It’ll be

easier to focus without the constant critiquing, Brittany convinced

herself.

6 Five days had passed since Brittany had confronted Alix—and just

two days were left until the competition.

7 “Come on, Brittany—watch that somersault!” Coach Jen yelled from

the sidelines as Brittany rehearsed her routine. Brittany grunted

with pain and frustration; her muscles were strained, and sweat

from her brow stung her eyes. Brittany looked into the stands and

saw the empty seat beside Coach Jen and tried to ignore the pang

she felt from her friend’s absence.

8 Coach Jen approached Brittany after practice. “You seem off your

game, Brit—and you need to get it together by Saturday morning. I’d hate to see all your hard work go to waste.” Coach Jen walked

off with a look of disappointment, leaving Brittany feeling alone.

9 Brittany sat on the tumbling mat, her hands holding her head as if it

were a weighty boulder. Alix always nitpicked her performance too,

but she always had something supportive to say as well. Brittany

missed the encouragement Alix gave her when she was doubting

herself—like now. Brittany stared at the empty stands, imagining

how she must have made Alix feel.

10 When the day of the competition finally arrived, Brittany was

plagued with nerves. Her parents were in the stands, and Coach Jen

was in the front row beside other coaches. Brittany practiced her

moves and, although she had memorized the routine, she felt

clumsy and insecure. Brittany stood with a solemn expression,

concerned that this was about to be a disaster.

11 “You’re going to be great!” Brittany heard suddenly. She turned

toward the familiar voice and was stunned to see Alix walking

toward her.

12 Brittany stood with her mouth hanging open. “I really didn’t think

you were going to show up. I’m sorry—you were just trying to help

me, and I didn’t want to take the time to listen to what you had to

say.”

13 Alix enveloped Brittany in a hug. “I know how important this

competition is to you, Brit. There’s no way I was going to miss this—

you’re my best friend! I know you needed your space, but that

doesn’t mean I was going to abandon you.”

14 Alix placed her hands on Brittany’s shoulders and gave her a little

shake. “You’ve got this, Brit; and no matter what happens, I’ll be

cheering you on.” Brittany gave Alix a warm embrace before Alix

went to sit in the stands beside Brittany’s parents.

15 After a few moments, the judges announced the beginning of the

event and called Brittany’s name first. Brittany approached the edge

of the mat with her head held high. She saw Alix, giving two thumbs

up, and Brittany envisioned the judges giving her the same gesture

after her routine. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders, now

buoyed by a dose of support from her friend

In paragraph 15, the author’s choice of language creates a

mood of —

• fondness

• admiration

• hopefulnes

• amusement

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