Read the excerpt from “Broken Chain.” “Come on, man, let me use it,” Alfonso pleaded. “Please, Ernie, I’ll do anything.” Although Ernie could see Alfonso’s desperation, he had plans with his friend Raymundo. They were going to catch frogs at the Mayfair canal. He felt sorry for his brother and gave him a stick of gum to make him feel better, but there was nothing he could do. The canal was three miles away, and the frogs were waiting. Which message does Gary Soto want readers to take away?
Answer
A
Friendship is something that everyone should value.
B
Small gifts have great influence.
C
People place their own needs above those of others.
D
Achieving one's goals is unrealistic.
Explanation
Ernie sees how badly Alfonso wants to use the bicycle, but he keeps his plans to go catch frogs with Raymundo instead. Giving Alfonso gum is a small attempt to comfort him, not a real sacrifice or solution. The excerpt suggests that people may put their own plans and needs ahead of someone else’s, which matches “People place their own needs above those of others.”
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