Question 154·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is from Marisol Cheng’s 2021 memoir Roots and Wings.
Every Saturday morning, Mama would spread old newspapers across the kitchen table before unpacking the vegetables she had bargained for at the market. My brother and I would wash the dirt from the carrots and sort the fragrant herbs into neat bundles. Only when everything was in place would Mama start the soup stock, humming the same lilting tune she claimed her grandmother used to sing. No recipe was ever consulted; the flavor lived in her memory, and in the stories she told us while the pot simmered.
According to the text, what family tradition is the narrator describing?
For questions about a passage’s main action or family tradition, first underline time cues like “every Saturday” or “each year” that signal a repeated event. Then list the key actions and who performs them, and look for the answer that accurately summarizes that repeated activity without adding new details. Use process of elimination: cross out any choice that changes who is involved, introduces events not mentioned, or focuses on a minor detail instead of the main shared routine.
Hints
Notice the time phrase
Look at the first sentence. How often does this event happen, and what does that tell you about whether it’s a tradition?
Track who is involved and what they do
Underline or mentally note what Mama does and what the narrator and her brother do. What is the main activity they are all contributing to?
Beware of extra details in the choices
Check each answer choice and ask: Is this exactly stated or clearly implied in the paragraph, or is it adding something new that the text never mentions? Eliminate choices that introduce new actions or roles that are not supported.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The question asks: “According to the text, what family tradition is the narrator describing?” A tradition here means something the family does regularly, in the same way, over time. Your job is to identify the main repeated activity everyone takes part in.
Locate clues about when and how often the activity happens
Look at the beginning of the passage: “Every Saturday morning”. This tells you it’s a weekly routine, which is exactly what a tradition often is. Also notice the description runs through the whole paragraph, suggesting that this whole process is the tradition being described.
Identify the key actions and who does them
List what actually happens:
- Mama spreads old newspapers on the table.
- She unpacks vegetables she bargained for at the market.
- The narrator and brother wash carrots and sort herbs.
- Mama starts the soup stock, humming a tune her grandmother used to sing.
- No recipe is used; the flavor is in her memory and stories. These details show a shared cooking routine focused on making soup with vegetables, involving Mama and the children together.
Match the accurate summary to the answer choices
Now compare each choice to the details. The only option that correctly describes a weekly family routine where Mama and the children work together to prepare vegetables and make soup is: A) The family gathers on weekends to prepare vegetable soup together.