A. her career as a baker B. her longing for a home or family connection C. her wealth and social status D. her love of travel

A. She resents Elena for leaving and never writing. B. She has completely forgotten about Elena. C. She has remembered Elena and hoped for some kind of closure. D. She believes Mariana is Elena in disguise.

For weeks, Mariana debated what to do. The internet offered no Beatriz Ramirez at that address. The street number might no longer exist. But one evening, while cleaning out a closet, Mariana found a shoebox of photographs. Beneath the pictures of her mother as a baby was a black-and-white image of two young women smiling in front of a flamboyán tree. On the back, in Spanish: “Elena y Beatriz, Santurce, 1979.”

“Elena’s granddaughter,” Beatriz whispered. “I’ve been waiting for you for thirty-nine years.” 1. The primary purpose of the letter in the story is to A. explain why Elena left San Juan B. reveal that Elena had a secret family C. show that Elena never intended to return to Puerto Rico D. introduce a mystery about Elena’s past

The woman’s hands stopped. She looked at the image, then at Mariana. Her eyes watered, but she did not cry. Instead, she smiled—a slow, sad, knowing smile.

Inside, the letter was incomplete. The date at the top read “June 8, 1985.” The first paragraph described a hot summer afternoon in Chicago, the sound of coquí frogs from a record her grandmother would play when she felt homesick. The second paragraph apologized—but for what, Mariana could not tell. The sentence broke off mid-way: “I know I promised to return after Abuela’s funeral, but the snow here is nothing like the rain at home. I met someone. His name is Daniel. He works at the factory and he—” The rest of the page was blank. No signature. No closing. No mention of Beatriz again.

Readtheory.org • Essential

A. her career as a baker B. her longing for a home or family connection C. her wealth and social status D. her love of travel

A. She resents Elena for leaving and never writing. B. She has completely forgotten about Elena. C. She has remembered Elena and hoped for some kind of closure. D. She believes Mariana is Elena in disguise. readtheory.org

For weeks, Mariana debated what to do. The internet offered no Beatriz Ramirez at that address. The street number might no longer exist. But one evening, while cleaning out a closet, Mariana found a shoebox of photographs. Beneath the pictures of her mother as a baby was a black-and-white image of two young women smiling in front of a flamboyán tree. On the back, in Spanish: “Elena y Beatriz, Santurce, 1979.” her wealth and social status D

“Elena’s granddaughter,” Beatriz whispered. “I’ve been waiting for you for thirty-nine years.” 1. The primary purpose of the letter in the story is to A. explain why Elena left San Juan B. reveal that Elena had a secret family C. show that Elena never intended to return to Puerto Rico D. introduce a mystery about Elena’s past No mention of Beatriz again.

The woman’s hands stopped. She looked at the image, then at Mariana. Her eyes watered, but she did not cry. Instead, she smiled—a slow, sad, knowing smile.

Inside, the letter was incomplete. The date at the top read “June 8, 1985.” The first paragraph described a hot summer afternoon in Chicago, the sound of coquí frogs from a record her grandmother would play when she felt homesick. The second paragraph apologized—but for what, Mariana could not tell. The sentence broke off mid-way: “I know I promised to return after Abuela’s funeral, but the snow here is nothing like the rain at home. I met someone. His name is Daniel. He works at the factory and he—” The rest of the page was blank. No signature. No closing. No mention of Beatriz again.