The correct answer is "rising action." The rising action is the stage of the plot that occurs after the exposition and leads up to the climax. It is where the conflict and tension of the story begin to build, and various events and complications start to unfold. To determine the correct answer, you can analyze the different stages of the plot and their roles in the narrative structure. In this case, the beginning of the story's conflict is not the climax, resolution, or falling action, but rather the rising action.
