When Samuel was a kid, his family had a dog. It wasn't a purebred or anything, just a mutt, but Samuel's family loved it very mu
ch. They only owned the one dog, but they loved all dogs, every dog they saw. When they would take the mutt to the dog park, Samuel and all of the members of the family would pet every dog they saw and scratch them behind the ears and say things like, "Aren't you beautiful!" But there was something else they all agreed on, too: cats were terrible! For reasons no one knew, Samuel's family was one of those families that loved dogs but hated cats. And so, Samuel grew up hating cats too. When Samuel was 18, he left home for college, and still he hated cats. Samuel and his friend Max rented an apartment in college. One night, they were watching TV when Max said, "There is something wrong with this apartment. It just doesn't feel right without an animal. I think we should get a cat." Samuel agreed that it didn't feel right without an animal, and he knew that dogs weren't allowed in the apartment. But, he hated cats, so he said, "You can get one if you want, but I'm not paying for anything!" So Max bought a cat and named it Mitsy, and Samuel refused to help take care of it. Still, he was around the cat a lot. After a few weeks, he began to like it when the cat would rub her head on Samuel's leg, and he liked how she stalked and pounced on roaches. Within two months, Samuel thought Mitsy was one of the greatest animals in history. He was sure his family would make fun of him when they found out! 19 What is a recurring theme in a story such as this? A. Once a person has an opinion, he or she should never change it. B. It is important to hold the same opinions as one's family. C. No one can like both dogs and cats equally. D. A person should form his or her own opinions.
