Melanie walked out onto the stage, and her stomach dropped like a free-falling elevator. She crept slowly over to the podium and bent the microphone toward her mouth, like the straw in her pink lemonade. She gathered up all of her courage and began to speak, her voice an impostor as it boomed through the microphone. She flinched at its unfamiliarity and scanned the room for her mother's face

Question

Melanie walked out onto the stage, and her stomach dropped like a free-falling elevator. She crept slowly over to the podium and bent the microphone toward her mouth, like the straw in her pink lemonade. She gathered up all of her courage and began to speak, her voice an impostor as it boomed through the microphone. She flinched at its unfamiliarity and scanned the room for her mother's face

In three to five sentences, identify two examples of figurative language from the passage above and explain what each example of figurative language means.

Answer 1

1. "Her stomach dropped like a free-falling elevator." This is an example of a simile, as it compares the feeling in Melanie's stomach to the sensation of a free-falling elevator. It conveys the intense and sudden fear or nervousness she experiences as she steps onto the stage, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of her emotions.

2. "She bent the microphone toward her mouth, like the straw in her pink lemonade." This is also a simile, comparing the way Melanie manipulates the microphone to how she interacts with a straw in her drink. It suggests a sense of familiarity and comfort, highlighting her attempt to find stability in an otherwise nerve-wracking situation.