Question 31·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
The following text is adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women.
In spite of the rain, Jo hurried through the garden toward the old carriage house, her mind overflowing with ideas for the play she and her sisters were rehearsing. She tucked a battered notebook beneath her shawl, determined not to let a little storm delay their plans. Meg had counseled patience, but Jo’s restless energy would not be restrained; she wanted every scene perfected before evening.
Which statement best describes Jo’s attitude toward the rain?
For attitude or central-idea questions, first underline key verbs and adjectives that describe what the character does and how the narrator describes them, especially around the detail mentioned in the question (here, the rain). Ask yourself whether the character sees the situation as a big problem, a small problem, or no problem, and whether the tone is positive, negative, or neutral. Then eliminate choices that add new feelings not supported by the text, exaggerate the problem, or contradict clear actions (like going outside vs. “prefers to stay indoors”), and pick the option that most directly restates what the passage already shows.
Hints
Focus on the description of Jo in the rain
Reread the first sentence and look closely at how Jo behaves while it is raining. Does she slow down, stop, or keep going?
Pay attention to key phrases around the word ‘rain’
Look at the phrases that come right before and after mentions of the rain, like “In spite of the rain” and the line about the “little storm.” What do those phrases tell you about how serious she thinks the rain is?
Connect Jo’s actions to her feelings
Think about this: if someone hurries outside in the rain with “restless energy” to work on a project, what does that suggest about how much the rain is affecting them?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the question is asking
The question asks: “Which statement best describes Jo’s attitude toward the rain?”
This means you are looking for how Jo feels about the rain or how she responds to it (her attitude), not just a literal detail about what she does.
Look for key phrases about the rain and Jo’s actions
Find the parts of the passage that mention the rain and see what Jo does:
- “In spite of the rain, Jo hurried through the garden toward the old carriage house…”
- “She tucked a battered notebook beneath her shawl, determined not to let a little storm delay their plans.”
Notice both what she does (hurried through the garden, tucked the notebook away) and how the narrator describes her (determined).
Infer Jo’s attitude from her behavior and word choice
Ask: Does Jo treat the rain as a big problem, a small problem, or no problem at all?
- She still goes outside and hurries through the garden, even though it’s raining.
- She protects her notebook but doesn’t stop or turn back.
- The phrase “a little storm” and the word “determined” show she thinks the rain is minor and that she is strongly focused on continuing with the play.
So her attitude is active and determined; the rain is an inconvenience, not a barrier.
Match the inference to the best answer choice
Now compare your understanding to the choices:
- The passage shows that Jo keeps going with her plans, treats the storm as “a little” thing, and is “determined not to let” it stop her. This matches choice C) She refuses to let the rain interfere with her preparations.
The other choices either claim she is worried, that rehearsing is impossible, or that she prefers to stay indoors—none of which fit her determined behavior in the rain.