The math test was a mountain that Jake had to climb. Every problem seemed steeper than the last, and by question fifteen, he felt like he was running out of breath. But Jake remembered his teacher's advice: 'Take it one step at a time.' So he focused on just the problem in front of him.
When the author writes that "Every problem seemed steeper than the last," this extended metaphor suggests that:
- The test was easy at first but the classroom slowly grew warmer and harder to sit in
- Each new problem was becoming more challenging and difficult for Jake to solve (correct answer)
- Jake was getting better and faster at solving problems as he moved through the test
- The problems on the test all stayed at exactly the same level of difficulty for Jake
Explanation: The author compares the test to climbing a mountain, and 'steeper' slopes are harder to climb. So saying each problem is 'steeper than the last' means each new problem is getting more challenging for Jake to solve. The choice about the classroom growing warmer takes the words literally instead of as a comparison, and the passage never mentions the room's temperature. The choice about Jake getting better and faster is the opposite of the metaphor's meaning—steeper means harder, not easier. The choice about problems staying at the same level contradicts the word 'steeper,' which shows the difficulty is changing. Only one choice matches what the mountain-climbing comparison really means.