1 The drama teacher, Mr. Petrowski, said the cast list for the musical would go up after lunch. Hannah sat up a little straighte
r during his announcement and flashed a thousand-watt smile. Samantha couldn't help but roll her eyes at her best friend. Hannah had always been extremely confident in everything she'd done, but she was already acting as if she _____ the star. Hannah was loud, cheerful, and spontaneous, which made her a phenomenal actress, but her perpetual optimism aggravated Samantha today. 2 Feeling exasperated by her friend's behavior, Samantha distanced herself from Hannah at lunch and pretended to study. Samantha was the polar opposite of Hannah; she was introverted and meticulous, definitely not the typical drama student. However, she'd needed an elective this semester, and Hannah had convinced her to take drama. Surprisingly, Samantha enjoyed drama class—she liked letting go of her inhibitions and acting like someone else for a while.
3 Hannah found her after lunch, and they walked back to the drama classroom together. There was already a crowd around the classroom door, and everyone was talking excitedly. Hannah's face went white when she looked at the list, and that's when Samantha saw her own name at the top.
What is the effect of presenting the narrative in chronological order?
A) It establishes a playful mood.
B) It helps reveal past conflicts.
C) It creates as sense of foreboding.
D) It emphasizes the surprise at the end.
The author uses chronological order because it emphasizes the surprise at the end. From the author's descriptions of Samantha and Hannah, it seems as if Hannah is the obvious choice to star in the musical. The order of events helps emphasize the surprise at the end when Samantha wins the lead over Hannah.
