Read the passage from "Two Kinds.” In spite of these warning signs, I wasn't worried. Our family had no piano and we couldn't afford to buy one, let alone reams of sheet music and piano lessons. So I could be generous in my comments when my mother bad-mouthed the little girl on TV. "Play note right, but doesn't sound good! No singing sound," complained my mother. "What are you picking on her for?" I said carelessly. "She's pretty good. Maybe she's not the best, but she's trying hard." I knew almost immediately I would be sorry I said that. "Just like you," she said. "Not the best. Because you not trying." She gave a little huff as she let go of the sound dial and sat down on the sofa. The little Chinese girl sat down also to play an encore of "Anitra's Dance" by Grieg. I remember the song, because later on I had to learn how to play it. What conflict occurs in the passage?
Answer
A
an external conflict between the narrator and her mother over whether the girl on television is playing well
B
an internal conflict within the mother, who wishes she could buy more things for her family
C
an internal conflict within the narrator, who wants to perform better than the little girl on the talent show
D
an external conflict between the narrator, who wants to play piano, and her mother, who cannot afford to buy one
Explanation
The narrator says the girl on television is “pretty good,” while her mother criticizes the girl’s playing. The disagreement becomes personal when the mother compares the narrator to the performer and says she is not trying. This is an external conflict between the narrator and her mother over the girl’s performance, so choice A is correct.
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