Tom Godwin's chosen title for his short story "The Cold Equations" refers to the cold, factual mathematical equations that were used to calculate Marilyn's fate.The first equation refers to the one the computers that govern the Stardustcruiser and the Emergency Dispatch Ships (EDS) use to calculate how much fuel to load Barton's EDS with so that he will safely arrive on Wooden to fulfill his emergency mission. The conflict of the story...
The correct answer for this question is this one: "The speaker sees a child covered in soot, lying alone in the snow. Good start. The child tells him that his parents, who have forced him into chimney sweeping, are praying at a nearby church. " Hope this helps answer your question.
Fictional stories typically have an introduction that gives a background to the characters and the conflict. Then it usually goes into the the events leading into the conflict or the climax. Then after it gets to the conflict/climax it leads down to the end of the story
