A Surprise Visit

How does paragraph 28 contribute to the development of the plot?

• It shows that Elena feels shy toward Marcos because he has been gone for so long.

• It highlights that Elena feels upset about spoiling Marcos’s surprise.

• It indicates that Elena’s family enjoys spending time together.

• It reveals that Elena is upset with her mother for forgetting to act surprised.

Read this sentence from paragraph 27. As Marcos hugged Mom, he looked accusingly over her shoulder at Elena—the aroma of fresh cookies in the air whispered to him that his visit was no surprise. What does the author’s use of personification emphasize?

• Marcos realizes Mom has prepared in advance for his visit.

• Mom understands what Marcos likes to eat.

• Elena wishes that Marcos had not noticed the smell of the cookies.

• Marcos feels welcomed by the smell of his favorite cookies.

Because the story is told from the third-person limited point of view, the reader knows —

• why Marcos has not visited sooner

• why Aunt Laura revealed the secret to Mom

• how Elena feels about her actions

• what Mom thinks about the upcoming anniversary party

What does the word futile mean in paragraph 8?

• Useless

• Effortless

• Boring

• Troubling

Read this sentence from paragraph 20. Suddenly, Elena’s cheeks felt as if they were on fire. What does the author’s use of figurative language in this sentence suggest?

• Elena is embarrassed because Mom is not supposed to know about Marcos’s visit.

• Elena begins to feel ill as she rests in her room.

• Elena is angry with her aunt for telling Mom that Marcos is coming to visit.

• Elena panics because she was caught pretending.

In what way do Mom’s actions in paragraph 26 affect the plot?

• They cause Marcos to change his plans for visiting the family.

• They lead the family to arrange a different date for the anniversary party.

• They cause Aunt Laura to realize that she made a mistake by confiding in Mom.

• They make it difficult for Elena to enjoy her brother’s arrival.

What is the best summary of the story?

• Elena answers the phone and her brother Marcos tells her he is planning a surprise visit home. He is coming for their parents’ anniversary party. Elena tells Gemma who then tells Aunt Laura who then tells Mom. Marcos is upset that Mom knows his surprise.

• Marcos plans a surprise visit home and asks his sister Elena to keep his secret. However, Elena tells her cousin, and Mom eventually hears about the plan. Marcos arrives and realizes his visit is not a surprise. Elena feels sorry and apologizes, and she is forgiven.

• Elena tries to keep her brother Marcos’s surprise visit to herself. When her cousin Gemma visits, Elena tells her the secret. When Mom finds out, she starts to get the house ready for Marcos. She bakes his favorite cookies, and Marcos eats them when he arrives.

• Marcos wants to travel home from California and surprise his parents for their anniversary party. He asks Elena to keep his secret, but she tells her cousin Gemma. Marcos is at first upset that Elena told his secret but then shares some cookies with her that Mom baked.