Engage Reader and Establish Context Practice Test

The narrative opening, In 1912, the coal smoke over Millbrook clung to Clara’s coat as she hurried along the cobblestone street toward the telegraph office. Her brother had left for the city that morning, and their mother kept wringing her hands by the kitchen stove. Clara pushed open the office door, hearing the rapid clicking of the machine, and the operator looked up as if he had been waiting for her. When he slid a yellow paper across the counter, Clara saw her family name and felt her throat tighten. Which detail best helps establish the time period (when) in this opening?

The narrative opening begins: "I never meant to steal anything, but the silver key ended up in my pocket." On a windy October evening at the town library, I had been shelving books for volunteer hours when a thin envelope slid out of a mystery novel. I opened it, saw the key, and heard footsteps coming down the aisle. I shoved the envelope into my hoodie and stepped behind a bookshelf. How does the opening engage the reader most effectively?