Behold the Brooklyn Bridge
"They said it couldn't be done, but they did it," Papa kept repeating, almost like he half
believed it himself. We had been hearing about the building of the Great East River
Bridge for years, with its deals gone bad, workers with illnesses, and defiance of
something called physics.
We weren't quite sure what it all meant, except that for now, my sister Rachel and I were
putting on our finest dresses and the shoes Mother had polished twice.
Soon we were out the door as a family, going to walk on a bridge taller than the entire
city. There were so many people, but we were determined. Our modest Brooklyn family
was going to walk high up in the air on the miracle of a bridge to Manhattan.
The sunshine warmed my shoulders as we joined the masses of people walking toward
the river. I stretched onto my tiptoes to see the swarm of boats gathering underneath the
bridge up ahead. I gasped quietly when I saw the enormous expansion before me.
"There it is!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, there's the Great East River Bridge," Papa said looking down at me
We followed the crowd of people funneling onto the bridge to cross into Manhattan. I had
to crane my neck backward to look up at the top of the closest tower. My eyes followed
the long swooping wires as they stretched down and over to the next tower. The wires
shimmered in the sunlight and I was sure they were made of the most precious metal.
The crowd walked unhurriedly, taking in each detail of the new spectacle. As we neared
the other side of the river, I saw a group of people chattering excitedly. "Papa, what's
going on there?" I asked curiously.
Papa glanced over toward the crowd. "Why that's President Arthur himself!" he
exclaimed.
I thought to myself that it must really be an important day if even the president attended.
Looking around at all the people, I was suddenly glad to be wearing my best clothes.
Select the correct answer.
What can you infer about the characters in the passage?
OA. They are tired of living in the city of Brooklyn.
OB. They are excited about the new bridge.
OC.
They are excited to be together as a family.
OD.
They are tired of waiting for the bridge to be built.