It was a Sunday afternoon, and Bryan was in his room, listening to music and lazily strumming his guitar. Just then, his parents
knocked on his door and let themselves in.
"Shouldn't you be studying for the Math test tomorrow, Bryan?" his father asked, with a stern look on his face.
"I was just taking a break, Dad!"
"It seems like that's all you've been doing these past few days because we haven't seen you study for more than 15 minutes without getting distracted," Bryan's mother said.
"I'm sure I know enough to ace the test, Mom," Bryan said, picking up his guitar again.
His parents walked out of his room, shaking their heads.
The next day, when Bryan was waiting for the test to start, he could hear his classmates discussing what they'd been studying and exchanging notes and tips. When Bryan realized that he couldn't understand most of what they were saying, panic set in, but it was too late to do anything then. When the test began, he realized how ill-prepared he was, and he was almost in tears by the end of it. As he walked back home, he was dreading telling his parents that he was certainly going to fail the test. He was sure they'd be angry because he had not worked hard before the test.
Bryan's parents were in the kitchen when he entered the house, and as soon as they saw his dejected face, they knew something was wrong.
"Mom, Dad, I'm going to fail the Math test. I'm so sorry! I know now that I should have listened to your advice and worked harder. I deserve to be grounded for this!"
To Bryan's surprise, his parents were smiling at him.
"Chin up, son!" his father said. "Making mistakes is fine as long as you learn a lesson from the mistakes you make, and it seems like you've already learned yours."
"Bryan, your father and I are here for anything you need. We can help you make a timetable to study and make sure that you stick to it."
Bryan smiled and gave his parents a hug. "You're still going to ground me, though, right?" he asked.
"Oh, absolutely!" his father replied with a twinkle in his eye.
1
What is the best way to describe the theme in this story?
A.
Nothing is as important as academic excellence.
B.
A positive attitude can help one overcome challenges.
C.
It is important to pursue a hobby along with studies.
D.
Only hard work and effort can bring success.
