(A)
When invited by her mother to go shopping after lunch, Ellen hesitantly replied, “Sorry, Mom. I have an English essay assignment I need to finish.” Her mother persisted, “Come on! Your father’s birthday is just around the corner, and you wanted to buy his birthday present by yourself.” Ellen suddenly realized that her father’s birthday was just two days away. So (a) she altered her original plan to do the assignment in the library and decided to go to the shopping mall with her mother.
(B)
Ellen wanted to get a strawberry smoothie in the cafe, but it was sold out. So she bought a yogurt smoothie instead. The cafe was not very busy for a Saturday afternoon, and Ellen settled at a large table to work on her assignment. However, after a while, a group of students came in, and there weren’t any large tables left. One of them came over to Ellen’s table and politely asked, “Could (b) you possibly move to that smaller table?” Ellen replied, “It’s okay. I was just leaving anyway.” She hurriedly gathered her assignment leaving the shoe bag behind under the table.
(C)
Upon arrival at the shopping center, her mother inquired, “Ellen, have you decided what to buy for his birthday present?” She quickly replied, “(c) I would like to buy him a pair of soccer shoes.” Ellen knew that her father had joined the morning soccer club recently and needed some new soccer shoes. She entered a shoe store and selected a pair of red soccer shoes. After buying the present, she told her mother, “Mom, now, I’m going to do my assignment in the cafe while you are shopping.”
(D)
“It must be in the cafe,” Ellen suddenly exclaimed when (d) she realized the gift for her father was missing upon returning home. She felt so disheartened, worrying it would be impossible to find it. “Why don’t you call the cafe?” suggested her mother. When she phoned the cafe and asked about the shoe bag, the manager said that she would check and let her know. After a few minutes, she called back and told Ellen that (e) she had just discovered it. Ellen was so pleased that the birthday gift had been found.
