Shia looked up from his monitor, rubbed his eyes, and stared down the dark hallway toward the CFO’s office. He was certain a sound had come from behind the closed door. It was a heavy thump, like someone had dropped a bowling ball.
There shouldn’t be anyone else here at this hour, Shia thought to himself as he looked at his watch. The only illumination came from Shia’s computer monitor. His office was on the thirtieth floor, far too high to get much more than a faint glow from the street lights below. Shia slowly stood up before reaching down to turn off the computer screen, hoping to hide in the darkness. He considered turning on his phone’s flashlight, but his thoughts were cut short by a loud crash followed by the unmistakable tinkling of shattered glass.
She froze, as if he were caught by the gaze of Medusa. The initial doubt that he would actually find someone snooping around the CFO’s office had turned to an icy fear that gripped his lungs and would not let him breathe. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears; he knew whoever was in his boss’s office must be able to hear it.
Another crash, followed by a loud howl that he was sure couldn’t be human, shocked She’s into motion, He broke into a run… in the opposite direction. He sprinted for the emergency stairwell and rushed downward, jumping over the last few steps of each fight. Shia didn’t stop running and he had burst through the ground floor exit to the parking garage and found his car, His heart continued racing until he was at home in bed. He sent his boss a single text message before turning over and trying to force himself to sleep, don’t think I can work late anymore”
Which of the following sentences from the passage supports the conclusion that the passage takes place in the 21st century?
A.
“Shia froze, as if he were caught by the gaze of Medusa.”
B.
“His office was on the thirtieth floor, far too high to get much more than a faint glow from the street lights below.”
C.
“He sent his boss a single text message before turning over and trying to force himself to sleep: 1 don’t think I can work late anymore.”
D.
Shia didn’t stop running until he had burst through the ground floor exit to the parking garage and found his car.”
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is C. “He sent his boss a single text message before turning over and trying to force himself to sleep: ‘don’t think I can work late anymore.'”
Explanation:
To determine which sentence supports the conclusion that the passage takes place in the 21st century, it’s essential to consider the technological and contextual clues provided in each option.
- Option A: “Shia froze, as if he were caught by the gaze of Medusa.”
This sentence uses a classical reference to Medusa, a figure from ancient Greek mythology. While this reference establishes a literary or dramatic tone, it does not provide specific evidence of the time period in which the events are occurring. The imagery of freezing in fear is timeless and not indicative of a particular century. - Option B: “His office was on the thirtieth floor, far too high to get much more than a faint glow from the street lights below.”
This sentence describes a high-rise office and the limited illumination from street lights. Although this reflects a modern urban setting, high-rise buildings are not exclusive to the 21st century. The description of the building height alone does not definitively pinpoint the time period. - Option C: “He sent his boss a single text message before turning over and trying to force himself to sleep: ‘don’t think I can work late anymore.'”
This sentence is significant because it mentions sending a text message, a form of communication that is specific to the 21st century. Text messaging is a technology that became widely available with the rise of mobile phones and smartphones, which are characteristic of modern times. The use of text messaging for communication highlights the technological advancements that are unique to the current era. - Option D: “Shia didn’t stop running until he had burst through the ground floor exit to the parking garage and found his car.”
This sentence describes Shia’s actions as he exits the building and finds his car. While it implies a modern setting, as cars and parking garages are common, it does not provide as clear a technological or temporal reference as Option C.
In summary, Option C supports the conclusion that the passage takes place in the 21st century because it references text messaging, a technology specific to this era.