Function of Significant Events: Short Fiction Practice Test

In a winter-set story, an older brother, Luis, takes his younger sister, Ana, ice fishing on a lake their father once loved. Luis insists they follow every rule: measured holes, silent waiting, no running. Ana grows restless and begins tapping her boot on the ice. Luis snaps at her, and she glares back. After hours with no catch, Ana suddenly kneels, presses her mittened hand to the ice, and begins humming their father’s favorite song into the hole. Luis, startled, joins in quietly. What is the primary function of the bolded event?

begins humming their father’s favorite song into the hole

In a story narrated by a high school senior, Devon has spent months rehearsing a valedictory speech that politely thanks teachers and avoids controversy. On the morning of graduation, he learns his best friend was suspended for organizing a walkout. When Devon steps to the microphone, he begins the prepared speech, then stops, looks down at the paper, and tears the pages neatly in half and lets them drift onto the stage. He continues speaking without notes, naming the walkout and the students who were punished. What is the primary function of the bolded event?

tears the pages neatly in half and lets them drift onto the stage