Read the passage. "On Saturday, Dad promised to teach Mei how to ride her bike without training wheels. Mei pushed the bike to the sidewalk and stared at the wobbly tires. 'I can't do it,' she muttered, squeezing the handlebars. Dad jogged beside her and said, 'Look ahead, not down.' Mei tried again, and the wind brushed her cheeks. When she tipped, Dad's hand steadied the seat, but he didn't hold on for long. Mei pedaled three houses farther than before and laughed." What does Dad do to help Mei, according to the passage?
- He puts the training wheels back on so the bike will not wobble again.
- He tells Mei to look ahead and steadies the seat briefly. (correct answer)
- He runs in front of Mei and pedals the whole way for her.
- He holds tightly to the seat the entire time she rides.
Explanation: The passage says Dad "jogged beside her and said, 'Look ahead, not down,'" and that his hand "steadied the seat, but he didn't hold on for long." So the choice about telling Mei to look ahead and steadying the seat briefly matches the text exactly. The choice about putting the training wheels back on is wrong because Dad is teaching Mei to ride WITHOUT them, and the story never mentions adding them again. The choice about running in front and pedaling for her is wrong because Dad jogs beside Mei and she pedals herself—the passage says Mei pedaled three houses farther than before. The choice about holding the seat the whole time is a misreading: the text clearly states Dad "didn't hold on for long." To find the answer, underline what Dad actually does—"jogged beside," "said look ahead," "steadied the seat," "didn't hold on for long"—and match each choice to the exact words in the story.